Those Mindnumbingly Boring Days
by Sir sleeps-a-lot
Summary: There comes a point in your life where you just know what'll happen tomorrow or the day after that. Life just becomes this boring routine that you go through over and over and over... Well, you get my drift... I won't lose hope though, because there's always a little sparkle somewhere which shines through the tedium.
1. And so, the boredom begins

**Okay, I know I should be writing more Damn that Guy! chapters, but a weird mixture of feels and inspiration hit, spawning this little story... Well. not that little.**

**I previously posted this story as 'I Have a Voice, you know!' but I decided against that title. Now, this story is called 'Those Mindnumbingly Boring Days'. It still follows canon, like how I'd planned, but It'll end after Chihiro's original conquest. I'll probably make a sequel, if I get the time and the motivation, where it'll continue on from there.**

**Honestly, one of the issues I have with myself is that I never finish any of my multi chapter fanfiction, so I decided to only start posting this as soon as I'm finished. As of last night, I finally finished this 30 Chapter monstrosity, so I'll post it up now, one chapter a day.**

**Now, just a warning... I really tried my hardest to keep Chihiro as close to her canon counterpart, but of course, there's also a whole lot which is up for interpretation, so I'll probably go off track. If you think I did it wrong, leave a comment for me and I'll try to fix it.**

**Now that the boring stuff is over, let's get back to the more boring stuff.**

* * *

"My name is Chihiro Kosaka. Pleased to meet you all."

I tried to think of something witty to add, but finding nothing, I sat back down. I really hated introductions on the first day of school, because I never had anything interesting to say at all. I wasn't in any clubs and my hobbies of reading magazines and looking at cute guys really wasn't something I could really mention in class.

Still, I don't think I cared much today. Usually, I'd try to make a good impression, but there weren't even any cute guys in my new class. They ranged between ugly to just passable, so I really didn't care what they thought.

On that note, I really hated my new seat. It was near the back, which wasn't too bad, but I was hoping to be by the window, so I could watch the other classes (and cute boys) while they have gym outside. It's too bad about that. Then again, being four seats away from the door has it's own advantages...

"Katsuragi Keima…" Nikaido-sensei called, which broke through my thoughts. Whoever that student was seemed to have no intention of introducing themselves, but Sensei would not have that. She walked to him and put her hand on his shoulder, silently threatening him. I guess my seat is actually quite good, because he sits on my right just in front of me. If the teacher's gonna have a huge freak out, I have a really good seat to that.

I couldn't really see who this student was, but he obviously had a lot of guts, because he still didn't stand up and introduce himself. What happened after this really surprised me, because Nikaido-sensei literally lifted the boy up by his collar and dragged him to the front of the class. This was getting pretty good. I should've brought popcorn.

At the front, Nikaido-sensei put him down and made him introduce himself.

"I'm Keima Katsuragi. Unless you're part of the 2D world, don't bother me." He said sullenly, not looking up from his gaming device. I was amused by his idiocy, but there's no way Nikaido-sensei would be. Her eyes look like they're twitching. She put out her hand in front of him and cleared her throat.

"Let me save at least," Katsuragi said in monotone. She seemingly allowed it, because he handed her the console a moment later and he walked smugly back, his hand unsubtly closed around something.

Seeing that he was seated quite close, I was looking just in time to see him pull out an identical console from his bag and put whatever was in his hands into the back. Wow, he's a real idiot. Just because he has an extra doesn't mean Sensei won't confiscate it. I grinned... I guess this seat isn't that bad at all. I get a first hand view of this guy getting his games taken away from him.

I wonder if being an otaku just makes you an idiot… Dad always seems to think so.

Introductions went through as they do every year, so I was bored silly. I was looking forward to class being over so then I could go to the convenience store and get some snacks.

I dunno… It's kinda sad that that's the most interesting thing in my life now… food…

Actually, my close friend, Ayumi is here, but she's kind of far away by the window. If only I could pass notes with her.

Come to think about it, we used to have a system for notes passing a few years back, when we were still in the same class. Basically, we'd throw scrunched up notes at each other. Well, that does sound like a plan. I scribbled on a blank sheet:

'Wow, that Katsuragi kid is a real idiot. He brought out another game now.'

I hissed Ayumi's name and lopped a note over while Nikaido-sensei was writing on the board. Ayumi caught it easily.

She chucked it back a few seconds later.

'You don't kid. Apparently he's been doing that for ages. I guess he's called Otamega for a reason. I'm pretty sure he's gotten enough consoles confiscated that all the staff could play at once."

Now that I think about it, I wouldn't be surprised. If this guy plays so much that it got taken on the first day, there must be a whole collection of games in the staff room. What's up with Otamega though? That's the first time I've heard that nickname. Then again, I don't think I've met him yet, so that makes sense. I scribbled and chucked.

'Otamega? Sounds like some battery company. I wonder who thought that one up. Anyway, I wanna go to the convenience store after school. Do you want to come?'

I waited impatiently, tapping my nails on the desk. The sound was way too loud. It's probably time to file my nails down. Then I saw a ball land on my desk.

'I'm surprised you haven't heard of it. Apparently, Katsuragi got glasses in middle school, and since then, his nickname upgraded from Otaku to Otamega. He's been playing games from before middle school even. That sounds like fun, but they're starting F&T already so I'm going to have to pass. Sorry ;'('

It twinged a little bit. I wasn't in Ayumi's class last year, but I had tried out for Track and Field as well so I could hang out with Ayumi, but it was too much hard work and most of the other members beat me anyway, so it felt pointless. I wish I could endure as much as Ayumi can. I guess it's always been a bit of a sore point that Ayumi was so much more hardworking than me.

'Hee hee, you little do-gooder. It's fine. I don't mind. Still, could I get you a snack and bring it to you at F&T?'

I waited till Sensei had her back towards us before launching it to Ayumi. Luckily, Ayumi didn't look back, because I had no idea what my face looked like, but I knew it wouldn't be pleasant. I hated how easily my mood could change.

I tried to think happy thoughts of puppies and chocolate, and that worked. My souring mood went back up by the time the note was back in my hand.

'OOOOHHH! You'd do that? In that case, can you get me some chips? I've been needing some extra carbohydrates.'

Before I could reply yes, the note was snatched off my desk by an irritated looking Nikaido-sensei, so I counted my blessings that I didn't get detention and called it a day for note passing. I can always hang out with Ayumi after club.

I decided to pay attention to the board now, but as we were only getting briefed about the new year and who our teachers were, now seemed like a good time to zone out.

Looking around the class, everyone seems kind of blah and normal. What stuck out like a sore thumb was probably the pink-haired girl who was sitting in the back. She seemed pretty cute, but she'd probably look better without the glasses.

Well, this year, I want to make more friends. It would be a good idea to hang out after school and introduce myself to some of the new faces.

* * *

After the Opening Ceremony, I was ecstatic to be out of that stuffy hall. Man, am I glad that it only happens once a year.

While I was walking out, someone greeted me. I'd seen her face before but I couldn't put a name to it.

"I'm sorry, do I know you? I know I've seen you before, but I don't remember your name," I said sheepishly. She laughed, not insulted at all.

"Yeah, I'm in your class this year, but I just transferred in from another school. My name is Hiroko Matsumiya. You're Kosaka-san, right?"

Oh, that explains a lot. I felt a little guilty for being so inattentive when everyone was introducing themselves.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I wasn't really paying attention today."

"I could tell. When you were introducing yourself, you sounded pretty bored," I laughed.

"Ever the attentive one, aren't you, Matsumiya-san."

We ended up joking with each other all the way to class, when that pink-haired girl came into my sight.

"You were paying attention during introductions, right? Do you know who that pink-haired girl is?"

She looked where I was indicating.

"Yes, her name is Kanon Nakagawa. She has a job, so she doesn't come to school often and her seat is at the back, where she can leave easily."

I was pretty shocked at how informed she was, considering she hasn't been here long. I should take a page from her book.

"Ne, Matsumiya-san, I was planning on getting some steamed buns from the convenience store after school is over. Do you want to come?"

"That'd be great. I don't know much about the area, so I can at least learn about one place today."

"How about I make it worth your while by giving you a tour of the area as well?" Her eyes lit up.

"Seriously? That would be so convenient. I'd be very grateful."

For the last hour of school, they kept handing out textbooks. That Katsuragi guy got hit by every one we got. The poor guy probably lost a few brain cells because of that. Honestly, with seven textbooks ranging between the Kindle and the Bible in thickness, I'm sure some brain damage has occurred already. As if he wasn't kooky already...

After school, Matsumiya-san was waiting for me by the door. We walked out, happily chatting about the shops in Maijima while putting on our outdoor shoes, when we heard a loud crash of someone walking into the glass doors at the entrance of the school. We turned, concerned, then we noticed who it was… Otamega was on the floor, barely caring that he was on the ground, only focussed on his game. We started laughing. Serves him right...

"Oi, Otamega. If you lie down there all day, someone will step on you." He ignored us completely, refusing to get out of the way of the door. We ended up having to walk over him, but I mistakenly kicked him as I was passing, causing him to wince.

"I did warn you," I shrugged and walked over to where Matsumiya-san was waiting.

I told her a bit about Maijima as we walked to the store. Inside, it was warm and smelled of cookies. I loved hanging out here, because it always smelled nice and they allowed you to read by the magazine rack, which we were doing now. We actually found out a little something extra… That pink-haired classmate, Kanon Nakagawa, was a teen idol. She was starting to gain popularity now too.

I was quite happy. It felt like I knew a celebrity.

After making a quick stopover at school to give Ayumi her chips, we went around the neighbourhood, from the Karaoke bar to the Akanemaru to Inazumart to the Train station, where you could go to Narusawa. She was quite impressed at how much there was to do. I accompanied her home after the tour.

"Say, can I have your cellphone number?" she asked, pulling her phone out. I got distracted by her phone charm, which was a cute little mouse toy, dressed up in a police outfit.

I've seen that character before, at some arcade. What was it again? Mousy… Mouse police… Mappo...

"Is that Mappy?" I asked, finally remembered the name. Before when I used to go to the arcade to play games, I used to see it every day.

"Yeah, it is. I spent my childhood addicted to this game. Now I just keep this to remind myself."

"I see. That's cute. So just pass me your phone and I'll write it in. I'll do the same."

I then made a new contact, Mappy-chan and passed my phone to her. She laughed when she saw the name but didn't change the name. She only wrote her number in.

We parted ways after that. Still, I enjoyed today. I decided to call her for the fun of it.

"Ne, Mappy-chan. I just wanted to tell you how nice it was to meet you."

"Likewise, Chiro-chan. Thanks for showing me around today."

"Chiro-chan?"

"Yep, if I get a nickname, so do you."

"Fair enough. I'll see you tomorrow, Mappy-chan."

"You too, Chiro-chan. Enjoy the rest of your day."

I was still giggling about that phone call when I got home.

* * *

**Okay, I guess this would be the introduction chapter to this fanfiction. I'd say this is a pretty fair representation of how this story will go.**

**So if you don't like this, I'm sorry, but if you do, there's still a lot to come, so keep reading.**

**Actually, a lot is an understatement.**

**So, if you have anything to say or complain about, the review box is down there.**


	2. And so, I met him

**DUN DUN DUN... Chihiro and Keima meet... That can't end well...**

* * *

It took a bit of getting used to, but I think Second Year is turning out quite to be quite good. Even though there aren't many cute guys in my class, me and Mappy-chan found out that the Basketball club are filled with cuties. We sometimes go hang out there after school.

Unfortunately, I can't do that today. I've been neglecting my homework, so I want to have one afternoon where I just marathon it all, so I won't need to worry about it then. After that, I'll do my homework every day after school so I won't need to ever worry about this.

Come to think of that, didn't I say that last week?

Mappy-chan seems to be up to date with her work, so she decided to go straight home after school. Unfortunately, I'll probably be bored out of my mind in the library, but at least I'll get my work done. Working with friends usually means I won't be productive at all.

I put off packing my bag after school, because I really wasn't looking forward to an afternoon of studying. Then again, my work would never finish itself, so I went ahead and packed everything carefully and precisely, taking my time, but at least doing it.

I still ended up wasting time, because by the end, there was only me and that Otamega guy, who was playing something in his seat. Over the few days I've been in this class, I realised he was being completely serious on the first day... He doesn't speak to anyone at all. Other than the occasional correct answer and "can I save first?", this guy really does avoid any 3D people.

Still, I hadn't apologized for kicking him on the first day of school. It wasn't eating at me, per se, but I really should say sorry. I didn't really want to touch him (Oto-san says otakuism is contagious) so I thought of a better idea.

I pulled a ruler out of my nicely packed (for once) bag, and sat on the seat behind him. Obviously, he didn't notice, or care, that someone was behind him, because all he did was impersonate a statue with moving fingers. I held my breath and used the ruler to poke his hair: absolutely no reaction. I smiled and flicked his weird bed hair up: still no reaction. For a few moments, I just flicked his already messy hair into some spiky mess, nearly chewing my lips trying not to laugh.

Then I poked his neck, nearly causing him to fly off his chair. I really couldn't contain myself as the poor guy slid off the polished wood which was his seat. Though now I was totally off topic. Wasn't I here to apologize, not antagonise him some more? His face was really too funny for me to care much.

"What the hell is your problem?" Katsuragi shouted, jumping to his feet. I couldn't answer, because I was laughing too hard. My stomach hurts…

"S-stop that and apologize." He shouted again, embarrassment leaking into his voice. I breathed in, trying to calm down. It seemingly helped, because in a moment, I had calmed down enough to talk.

"I'm… sorry… I thought… that you were… a weird… gaming statue… or something… I wanted to see if you were alive." I gulped, not realising how little air I had in my lungs. I sound like a wreck.

"Don't lie, you real woman. You were trying to hurt me, weren't you?"

My gasping and nearly uncontainable laughter died down suddenly. Real woman… Even if I am part of the real world, that just sounded like an insult. How dare he…

"Real woman? I have a name you know! And why would I hurt you? I wanted to see if you had turned into pixels yet, Otamega!"

I waved the ruler around, as if to deter him from trying to attack me. It seemed like he had no intention of coming closer. He just started playing his game.

"Whatever, real woman. Just go away. You're an eyesore to games everywhere."

Even though I didn't want to back down, I had no clue what to say. He was just really annoying. I'm not really the prettiest, but by no means am I an eyesore. Screw apologizing!

"Well, you're an eyesore to humanity." I replied grumpily, putting my ruler in my bag and stalking out of the classroom.

"And my name is Chihiro, you big loser!" I screamed through the door before I slammed the door behind me.

I had calmed down a little by the time I reached the library. After the logic started sinking in, I felt really bad for screaming at him. I did start it after all, and I totally turned his hair into Goku. Even though it seemed like fun at first, I think poking a dog with a ruler would have been a smarter idea than poking Katsuragi with a ruler.

Yeah, I was at fault here. I should apologize tomorrow. But first; homework. This is gonna suck.

So I walk inside dragging my feet to the first empty desk I could see. Just that drained most of my energy, yet somehow, I managed to get some homework done… Of course, not without throwing my pen down in frustration many times. I was being so noisy that the meek librarian with the cute ribbons in her hair came to chastise me. Well, she tried, but I could barely hear her, even if she was three foot away from me. I apologized and threw my pen down in anger in my head instead.

My head was throbbing from my internal pen throwing and concentration by the time I left the library. I was pretty happy at myself though. I had completed a week's worth of homework and it was only five o' clock. Maybe I could even hang out with Ayumi. Her club should be over now as well

Katsuragi's Goku hairstyle flitted into my head and I laughed all the way to the field. I wonder if I should tell Ayumi…

* * *

**I must say, it's rare for me to write chapters with less than 1000 words, so this one was quite short. **

**I must say, I'm enjoying writing this story immensely. Chihiro is just fun to write about. I'm glad, that in the most recent chapter of TWGOK, she seems to be coming back. Even though Chihiro as a child seems totally obsessed with food, I can still see how that kid turned into the Chihiro who broke everyone's heart in the Goddess Arc.**

**That "Who the hell are you?" that she said as a kid really just reminds me of how crass she can be. I sure have missed her.**

**So, as usual, I want to know what you guys think. Please review if you have something you want to say.**


	3. And so, I bought a brush

**As I said yesterday, I'm back again. So here's chapter 3 of Those Mindnumbingly Boring Days, where Chihiro's actions come bite her in the butt... maybe...**

**Anyhoo, enjoy...**

* * *

In the end, I decided against telling her. I was worried she'd think too much of it and start teasing me or something.

Last night, I was thinking about how to apologize. I settled on a simple, 'I'm sorry. I was out of line with messing with your hair and calling you an eyesore. And I'm also sorry for kicking you last week. Please forgive me.' As for how well that would work… Only time will tell, I guess.

So I walked into class, ready to make a polite apology. If only he was that willing though. As soon as he saw me, he started glaring with the intensity of a laser. It's like I could almost see the red light burning my skin through my peripherals. What the hell is his problem now?

"Otamega, what'd got you so boiled up?" I said tentatively, placing my bag on my desk and sitting down. His glare didn't budge. He pointed at his messy hair, so I shrugged. It seemed pretty normal. At least the spikes from yesterday came out.

"Because of your idiocy yesterday, the back of my hair won't stay down. What the hell am I supposed to do about it now?"

I felt a twinge of regret about that. Even though his hair isn't much shorter than mine, you can still get some pretty harsh tangles in there. I guess sword fighting with hair really isn't a good idea at all.

"Okay, I'm sorry about that. Still, if you reacted sooner, I wouldn't have ended up messing it up so much." I replied, probably more meanly than I should have. I'm not sure why, but his aggression was pissing me off as well.

"As for your hair, why do you even care? It's just as messy as it usually is."

"Because today, my Dad has an important client coming and I'm supposed to sit there. Mum says if I don't fix my hair by then, she's taking all my consoles," Katsuragi shivered, as if the thought was too horrifying to stay inside his brain.

Honestly, I can't really see the issue. It's probably because I'm not an otaku, but I'd probably be just as desperate if I was losing my subscription of GirlWalker. I guess I owed it to him to help at least, so he didn't spontaneously combust without his games.

"Fine Otamega, It was my fault, so I'll help you get it out. Have you got a hair brush or something?"

Katuragi seemed content, because he pulled his game out and started playing.

"The player's parameters don't matter, so I haven't bothered with stupid stuff like that."

Wow, that's a real idiot. I'm pretty sure that all those games have addled with his brain, because no one can be dumb enough to not know the importance of hair brushing.

"You're a real idiot, aren't you? I guess there's no helping that. Come to the roof after school then."

He shrugged and continued playing, just as I expected. I don't know why I decided to help this guy I barely know. Yet somehow, I was doing it. He wasn't even cute.

I didn't talk to the Otamega for the rest of the day. It was probably pointless if I had tried anyway, because he was so enthralled with his game.

At lunchtime, I was counting up my change. It was still quite early in the month, so I still had a lot: probably enough to get a hair brush anyway. There's no way I'd lend him mines… His nerdiness might be contagious.

Our school has an open gate system at lunch time, so I was able to leave and get lunch and that stupid hair brush from the convenience store quite easily.

As I was waiting in line at the convenience store, I wondered if I was being too excessive here. I know I was wrong to mess with his hair, but this brush was putting a sizable dent in my allowance. Why should I even care that much?

Still, I'd hate to be the cause of Otamega losing his games. He'd probably spend the rest of this year glaring at me... 500 yen for being spared from those hole burning glares doesn't seem that bad.

I put the brush and the bentou I had brought on the till. The cashier looked at me sympathetically.

"Bad hair day?" she asked.

"You have no idea..." I shrugged, throwing the stuff in my bag. Then again, any day with Otamega's hair is a bad hair day. No surprise considering he doesn't even own a hairbrush.

I met Ayumi back at school, where she was sitting at her desk chatting with some girl. She waved me over when she saw me.

"Hey, I don't have practice today. Do you want to hang out after school," Ayumi asked as soon as I stole someone's chair and sat down. I cringed slightly.

"Sorry, not today. I have some plans for after school," I shrugged, hoping she wouldn't ask. I'm pretty sure helping Otamega isn't something you should be proud of.

"Oh well, that's a pity. I guess it's just me and Miyako then," she indicated to the other girl here. I think she sits beine me, but I haven't really gotten the chance to talk to her.

"If you do manage to make time, you should just call. Does it have something to do with Otamega?"

Just great... The one question I didn't want to hear. My skin started heating up, like a child who got his hand caught in the cookie jar. I rubbed the back of my hair nervously.

"Err… Yeah, it does. I did something to Otamega yesterday, so he wants me to fix it this afternoon. Though after that, I won't really need to talk to him."

Ayumi seemed slightly relieved. I wonder what she was expecting.

"Oh, is that all? I was worried you were going out with him because you were talking this morning to him."

Her tone was serious but I knew that I shouldn't fall for that... again. We've known each other for ages, so I knew she was trying to get me to blush, but I wouldn't take that bait. I made my face as deadpan as I could.

"Nah, I'm just righting a wrong today. Tomorrow we'll go make out on the roof..."

Ayumi spat out her drink and Miyako's eyes bugged out. It took a lot self control to not crack up at their faces.

"Really!?" Ayumi sputtered out.

"No, you idiot! I wasn't going to fall for that whole 'you have a crush on so-and-so' thing again," she frowned.

"Damn, you're getting smarter..." she remarked. I smiled smugly.

"Though seriously, it's probably better if you didn't talk to him to much. It could mess up your reputation quite a lot."

I was a bit ticked off at what Ayumi was implying, but she was just looking out for me. At that time, the bell rang so I got up.

"Thanks Ayumi. Trust me; he's so annoying that I wouldn't want to speak with him unless I had to anyway."

After that, I properly introduced myself to Ayumi's friend, Miyako Terada, who was also on the Track and Field team. I hope I didn't weird her out too much... it might be alright to crack something like that around Ayumi, but a near stranger... That was probably a bad idea.

Luckily, it seemed like my concerns were unfounded, because she was laughing at how Ayumi nearly drenched her desk. I think I'll get along with her just fine.

In any case, I was not looking forward to this afternoon. Though at least I won't ever have to help this guy after this afternoon.

* * *

**Hehe... The dramatic irony in that last line is killing me.**

**First things, I have to thank Earl Cardinal... Just so you know, I appreciate long reviews more than the short ones, though the short ones aren't bad either. I guess I just like feedback, even if it's a few words.**

**Thanks for the impromptu Japanese Culture Lesson. Honestly, I didn't actually know that, even though I've seen that Haganai episode where Kodoka and Yozora were learning how to actually use their phones. I doubt I'll change the chapter though.**

**Though speaking of random Japanese fact, I learned this new one today from my Japanese Physics lecturer today. Apparently, in elementary school, if you write a really outstanding answer in a test, they mark that question with a circle than turn it into a flower. They call that a 'Hanamaru'... How cute is that?**

**Well, that was a long Author's Note... I guess I'm done then...**


	4. And so, I used some clips

**Eh, I know I said I'd post everyday, but shit happens, so this one is a bit late. I'm not really certain if anyone's enjoying it, but whatever... If you like it, then continue reading. Hopefully I won't skip again.**

**So this chapter is a continuation from that previous one, where Chihiro's kind of roped into helping Keima. I thought it panned out pretty well.**

* * *

By the end of the day Ayumi didn't say anymore, so I was quite grateful. I wasn't looking forward to this, because it totally cut into my cute guy hunting time. Still, you gotta do what you gotta do.

I spent the time after school talking with Mappy-chan, so when I finally left for the roof, Otamega had long since been waiting there. He already had his nose stuck into his console when I arrived. I sat down on the bench next to him, using my bag as a barrier between us.

"Okay, so how do you want to do this? Should I just give you a brush and you try getting it out yourself, or should I do it?"

"You do it. I lost a lot of precious gaming time yesterday, and I refuse to lose more."

I was at a loss now. I was near certain he'd want to do it himself, but I didn't want to brush his hair. One little brother was way more than enough. Also, there were people around. I've been rumour-free for a year and I sure as hell didn't want them to start now.

"Fine then. But can we do this elsewhere? The roof is a bit…"

He stood up suddenly and started walking down the roof. I trailed after him, completely confused. Did he even hear me? Am I excused now? Can I go home?

He went into one of the empty classrooms, so I guess he did hear. He plopped himself onto a seat, playing his game.

"Yeah, do whatever you want, as long as my hair looks presentable by the end."

'Whatever I want…' I could probably have fun with that. If I'm wasting all this time anyway, I may as well have my own fun.

I always seem to lose the clips in my hair, so I have an emergency stash in my bag. I pulled them out, pretty happy to see the assortment of pinks and blues and reds. Heck, I even had a flower one. Otamega will look really pretty now… Once I put them into his hair…

I stood behind him awkwardly with the hair brush. Honestly, I had no clue how to even start with this. Maybe I actually could do it like how I did it with my brother. It still felt weird touching his hair, because it was way softer than Chitose's… Considering he barely brushed his hair, it was in pretty good condition.

"I'm surprised you'd let a near stranger touch your hair," I remarked, detangling a few strands before clipping them up. He shrugged, so I guess he didn't have much to say. So I shut up as well, focussing my attention on fixing, and girlifying, Otamega's hair.

After going through his hair, he had a dozen multicoloured clips in there, and it looked beautiful. My best makeover yet… If he knew what I'd done to his hair… there'd be Hell to pay for that…

I really couldn't resist it: I took out my phone and snapped a few pictures subtly so I could laugh about this at home later. I bet Otamega would make a great girl, if his hair is any indication. This totally made up for skipping basketball practice.

While he didn't catch me photographer impersonation, he still heard my snickering.

"What are you laughing about?" he asked, not looking up from his game. I continued laughing.

"If you haven't noticed already, you don't need to know. Don't worry though. I'm nearly done."

I wrapped up pretty quick after removing the clips. His hair was just about flat, except for that one annoying hair which refused to stay down. Well, I guess all idiots need idiot hair as well.

"There you go. Your hair is just as good as it's going to get," I handed him the brush and put the clips away into my bag.

"Isn't this yours?" he asked, handing the brush back.

"Nah, as if I'd let you use mines. You can keep it."

I pulled my bag over my arm and was about to leave when he spoke, his words stopping me at my tracks.

"Thanks, Chihiro."

I was really surprised to say in the least. The hairs on my neck prickled like a draft just hit me from behind.

"That was creepy. Don't ever thank me again," I continued walking, rubbing the goosebumps from my arms, "and don't call me Chihiro!"

As soon as I was out of the door, I started running… I don't really know why, but that creeped me out more than any scary movie I've ever seen or horror fiction I've ever read.

By the time I reached outside, my breathing was jagged and my heart hurt, reminding me how unfit I actually am.

I looked back at the building, ashamed at myself for reacting so drastically over something so stupid. Many guys have called me by my first name, but they usually had known me for more than two days. He really is an idiot. Like Hell I'd help that idiot again.

I glanced at my phone. It was only three, so I decided to make a little stop off at the gym. I guess that whole exercise didn't take as long as I expected. Mappy-chan was off doing something or the other, so she didn't come with me. It's a pity really, because the boys in the basketball club are really quite good looking.

'Yep,' I thought, watching the whole team of cuties slam dunking one after the other, 'this is why I come to school.'

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**Whoop whoop, cute guys FTW! At least Chihiro got to have her fun in the end.**

**Anyhoo, if you're curious about that Chitose guy I mentioned earlier, or if you're a skim reader like me, and didn't even notice that, please continue reading. I'm making up for yesterday's screwup by posting another chapter.**


	5. And so, I ate ice cream

**As I have helpfully stated in the first line of this chapter, this happens the next day. Timeline wise, this probably happened two or so weeks into April, which is the new school year in Japan. It's pretty weird for someone whos school starts in January, not that it really matters.**

**Though more importantly, I actually brought 2 original characters into this story this chapter. While I don't think anyone will have a problem with Shinji, one of the guys in the Basketball Club, but the other character worries me a little.**

**Don't bite off my head, but I actually gave the Chihiro in my story a little brother. In canon, they never mention siblings of most of the girls, so I believe it is perfectly plausable, and honestly, I think she has a slight case of the middle child syndrome. It also allows for me to introduce stuff to Chihiro that she wouldn't normally know. I dunno, if you think I'm derailing her too much, tell me how much I suck in a review.**

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The next day, I showed Ayumi those pictures of Otamega's hair with those multicoloured clips. I was not amused when she asked why I was taking pictures of my own hair.

Then, I realised that physically, me and him look creepily alike. That would also explain why I thought that he'd make a decent girl. I'm not really super cute, but I sure as Hell am not an eyesore, looks wise, no matter what he says.

Class was monotonously boring as usual, so I was looking forward to going to the gym after school. I guess I hadn't realised how often I'd been going these last two weeks, because one of the members approached me. A cute sandy haired guy, who seemed to love doing tricks with his basketball. My heart started beating faster and more loudly as he came closer.

"Hey, I've noticed you coming to practice quite often… Do you want to learn basketball?"

Think fast, Chihiro… And don't you dare make a fool of yourself!

"Y-yes," I stammered, "I-I thought it'd be fun." My face felt way too hot and my hands started fidgeting with the hair by my ears.

Suddenly, a weird burst of confidence hit me and I stopped stuttering.

"I came here to see how the pros did it," I smiled cheekily.

It worked, because he laughed and tousled up my hair. I didn't really mind the action, but I still had to flatten down my hair anyway.

"We're not pros, but I could probably teach you to shoot hoops." He said, grabbing my arm and pulling me off the bleachers. I let him drag me to the baskets, but I was still bemused when he put a ball in my hands.

"W-what do I do now?" I looked at him, confused. He smiled and made a throwing motion. I did the same, but the ball landed nowhere near the hoop. I hurriedly went to get it, my face burning in embarrassment. He didn't seem to care that I missed, just giving tip after tip.

On my fifth try, I managed to get the ball into the hoop, where he started clapping and cheering. I was now embarrassed for a different reason, because his hollering started alerting the other team members.

"Not bad, New Girl," the sandy haired boy clapped me on my shoulder, "just a bit more then I can probably start teaching you the rest."

"Thanks," I smoothed down some of my hair, "Don't call me New Girl. My name is Chihiro Kosaka."

"Alright, I'm Shinji Akagi. Can I call you Chihiro-chan?"

I nodded. At least he asked, unlike a certain someone. Plus, that creeped out feeling I got from Katsuragi using it wasn't there at all. It actually felt kinda nice.

"That's good then. Shinji-kun works for me, if you like."

Shinji-kun… I liked that. It had a nice ring to it. I was really happy to make a new, and totally adorable, friend.

The rest of the team decided to play with Shinji-kun as well, so I joined. It was fun, yet somehow, I knew I wasn't like them. They were so into their sports that you could barely get a word in on any other topics.

As I was leaving, Shinji-kun asked for my email address, which was a real ego boost. I happily gave it to him.

On the way home, I received an email from him. It was pretty standard 'great to meet you, I hope you come to hang out soon' type of message, but it had quite a few smileys. I would never have pegged him as that kind of texter.

When I got home, I did what I usually do, which is turn on the TV and see if anything good was on. Weirdly enough, I saw that pink haired classmate of mine, Kanon. She was singing, so I guess she's one of those teen idols. I decided to stick around for a bit.

By the end of her song, I was a whole hearted fan. While she was at school, she wore her glasses, but now, she looked totally cute without them. And her singing… It was amazing! It was like she was shining on stage.

I decided to call Mappy-chan and ask her about it. She mentioned this pretty good article in this week's ChauChau, but I hadn't bought it yet. Still, I got some little details about Kanon. Apparently her birthday is on March the third, and she's actually a year younger than me. She was also in a girl group, Citron about two years ago.

Not that I'd ever admit it to anyone, but hearing about her made me a bit sad. In the sixteen years she's been around, she's become famous in Japan and has performed half a dozen songs and probably has loads of fans. She also works her butt off, because the reason she misses school is because she's so busy. What have I done in seventeen years? Basically, I've been living a normal life, passing through school and doing my chores. I want to do something more, but I have no drive or direction.

Ayumi is the same as Kanon as well. She loves running so much. She pushes herself every day to improve her time, and she actually has to alter other facets of her life, like her diet and her sleep cycle, to improve herself even further. What the hell am I doing with my life?

I didn't like thinking like that at all so I hit my emergency brain stop button and dove into a magazine close by. It worked, because I didn't feel that punching in my heart anymore.

My house is pretty quiet, because when my brother Chitose came home, I heard him straight away. He came running into my room a few minutes later, making a flying jump for my bed. My eyes twitched.

"Chitose, I know you don't make your bed, but can you please not ruin mines?" I said, irritated, not looking up from my magazine.

"Don't be like that, Nee-chan. I want to hang with you for a bit. It's like I don't even exist with you anymore," he pouted, flailing his arms and legs and further messing up my bed sheets.

I hate to mention it, but he does have a point. With the amount I actually think about my siblings, you'd think I don't have any at all. I put my magazine down and sit by Chitose, which stops his tantrum.

"Yeah, you're right. I only really talk to you at dinner. In fact, how would you feel about getting some ice-cream with your Nee-chan? My treat."

He was thrilled, because he ran straight to his room to get a jacket. I don't really understand why, because it's Spring, so it's not even that cold.

Se we headed out to get ice-cream. Chitose had his soccer ball with him, so he kept kicking it with his knees and balancing it on his head. When I threatened to take it away, he calmed down significantly.

"So how has your football been going, Chitose?" This was the wrong question to ask, because he became hyperactive all over again.

"It's good, Nee-chan. I scored a goal during practice today. We're having a game this weekend, so I want to be in top form by then. Though I hope we don't get Kurohashi as our referee this match. He always makes sucky decisions…"

I smiled. Chitose loves soccer, so he always goes on a rant if anyone ever mentions it. Whether he's playing or whether someone deserved that red card, he always had something to say. Personally, I wasn't much of an athlete, and I don't get the rules no matter how many times he explains it, so soccer is quite low in my list of interests. Still, I didn't mind listening to him.

"…So then, Akari started cheering me on… I ended up winning the game, so she gives me a smooch of victory… Then there's Yuuki…"

Yes yes… Akari cheering Chitose on during a match. They kiss… Wait, what? Which girl dare kisses my adorable brother?

"Did you just say someone kissed you?" I interjected, stopping his tirade, "When did this happen?" He shrugged; cheeks a bit pink, and rubbed his hair.

"Well, it didn't happen to me. It happened in this game where you get to date girls. I finally reached the ending today."

Oh, I've heard of those. They're for the people who can't get girls but still want a romance. Since when has my brother been into those types of games? Well, at least he isn't dating any girls. He's only ten, and that just reflects badly on me, because I'm seventeen and have never ever gone out with a guy.

"Oh, I see. Since when have you started playing those kinds of games?" I asked casually. Honestly, I thought ten year olds thought girls had cooties, so I was quite surprised.

"It's only been a few days actually. My friend showed me this game, and since then, if I'm not eating, sleeping or playing soccer, I'm playing it. It has three girls, so I want to get a good end with all of them."

Not all at once, I hope. I've seen how love quadrilaterals work, and it's not pretty… Well, in the media. I've never seen one in real life.

"Well, as long as you know that real life girls have cooties, I think that kind of game isn't bad. Can I see it when we get home?"

By then, we were at the convenience store, which I make one too many trips to, so we got ice cream: Banana split for myself and chocolate chip for Chitose, as well as the new issue of GirlWalker and ChauChau. Then we walked home, just talking about random things. Of course, it got a little sticky (not the ice-cream, because we ate those really fast) when he asked who my boyfriend was.

"I-I don't have one…" I replied, feeling a bit hot despite the mass of cold ice cream in my stomach.

"Sure you do, Nee-chan. Pretty girls like you deserve a nice guy to buy you presents," he was so earnest that I felt a bit mean for breaking his illusion of me.

"I wish. Most of the girls in my class are way prettier than me, so they'll get the guy first," he patted my arm.

"Don't worry Nee-chan, I'm sure there's a guy out there who'll think you're the prettiest girl in the world and will buy you lot of presents."

I laughed and mussed up Chitose's hair. I really did have the best brother ever, even if he's a soccer obsessed slob.

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**Aww, you gotta love siblings. Personally, I have two of them myself, so I know how great they can be. Though it's never fun getting compared to them. What can you do though?**

**So I'm done posting for today. I'll be back though, so don't miss me...**


	6. And so, I went to a game shop

**Okay, I won't lie... The lack of reviews on this story is kinda disheartening. I guess it's a bit unfair to expect a lot though, considering I'm posting this quite fast. Eh, whatever...**

**Now this chapter was a hoot to write. You will see why soon enough.**

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When we got home, Chitose showed me his game. The drawings in it were very colourful and pretty. Maybe one point worth complaining about was the faces of the girls. I saw all three girls, and I was pretty sure they were all the same face, with different hairstyle. The lines were quite predictable as well…

"So, what do you think, Nee-chan?" Chitose asked after I had been playing for a few minutes.

"It's fine, I guess. The drawings are nice. The story is a bit predictable, but if you like it, you can play it," he seemed happy at that, because he took his console, the PFP, and ran back to his room.

Eh, come to think of that, isn't Katsuragi's game thing the PFP as well? Either way, no one cares.

The next weekend, Chitose asked me to come with him to the game shop in Narusawa. I didn't have any other plans, so I may as well see if there are any games which might be interesting.

When I arrived at the game shop, what I saw nearly made me turn around and go straight home. Why is Otamega here? Then I realised it was pretty redundant to ask; because his nickname has 'Otaku' in it. He probably lives at this shop.

I ducked behind one of the shelves, where Chitose joined me.

"What are you doing, Nee-chan? The games I want are over there." He pointed towards the shelves at which Katsuragi was standing by. Of all the shelves in this world, he had to be at that one! Ugh, can I just go wait outside? But I made the whole trip here. I may as well look at the games here.

"You can go if you want. I want to look at these games for a bit then I'll come to you," I said motioning at the shelf by me. He shrugged and walked over to the shelf by the paying counter where Katsuragi was holding two games, as if he was weighing the pros and cons of both disks.

I tried to read the titles in the shelf I was standing by, but both my eyes and ears gravitated towards my brother and annoying classmate who were standing less than two feet away from each other.

"Wow, that's a lot of games you're buying!" Chitose commented. I hope that wasn't aimed at Otamega.

"Yeah, I ran out of titles, so I'm stocking up for the week," a totally familiar voice replied, killing my previous wish. I was not surprised at all, given how much he played in class. By this point I had given up being subtle, and was just watching them while hiding myself enough that they didn't see my head around the shelf.

"Wow, you can play a lot in a week, Nii-san." Chitose replied, clearly impressed. I was amazed too. That pile may have been half my size.

"Well, I am called Otoshigami for a reason. This amount is child's play for me."

"Ne, Otoshigami-san. Can you help me find a game? I want one about soccer."

Obviously Katsuragi, being the gaming genius he is, handed him some games without batting an eyelid.

"I'm done shopping now, but if you ever need help finishing those games, here's my email address." Katsuragi handed a piece of paper over to him before turning towards the till. I got so into spying on the two of them that I didn't notice Katsuragi looking right at me.

He stepped closer, but I was too petrified to duck or move away…

He stepped closer, and I could almost feel the floor move under me…

Another step… My head started swimming and his footsteps were louder than smashing boulders…

One more… my eyes squeezed shut.

"I've been looking for this," Katsuragi grabbed something, brushing my hair in the process.

When I opened my eyes, Katsuragi was at the till, paying for his pile of games, now with a new box added to it. I breathed a sigh of relief and snuck to the back off the shelf, far away from him.

When I was certain he was gone, I went to where Chitose was looking at the array of games in his hands, wide-eyed.

"You can only afford one right now, so choose the one you like best," I said.

I looked at the shelf of near identical game boxes when something caught my eye. Are those cute guys!? I picked up the box and looked at the back, which had more pictures. Yep, there were quite a few of them at least.

I was torn at this. Is it wrong that I wanted to play this? In real life, there are some cute guys, but this seemed different… And they were so cute… But they're 2D, which is just weird… But they're so cute… And these are characters in a game I'd be trying to romance… But they're so cute!

Screw this, I'm buying it! I'm sure I can't become an Otaku from just one of these, can I?

I pulled out my purse from my jean pocket. At least I have enough money for this. But seriously, this stuff is expensive. How does that guy afford it all?

"By the way," Otamega's voice came out of nowhere. I turned back to the shelf, trying to blend into the shelf. Before, I was at least hidden by the shelf, but there was no way he couldn't see me. Man, I didn't want to get caught here by him. What I he thinks I'm like him and tries talking to me?

"I have this website which has some walkthroughs for some games. It's on that paper I gave you."

He left then, not paying attention to anything at all. It didn't stop me from getting annoyed at how much this was affecting me.

"Nee-chan, isn't the Otoshigami guy so cool," he then looked at me, and I knew I was screwed, "Why are your cheeks pink?"

"My cheeks aren't pink. I'm not the slightest bit embarrassed." I said, sounding like a complete idiot and causing my face to darken even further. God, can I just pay and leave?

"You like that guy, don't you?" Chitose grinned mischievously. Even though that wasn't the reason at all, my body just refused to respond the way I wanted, because my body was just getting hotter and my stomach was flip flopping like a fish out of water, which also satisfactorily described how I felt as well.

"No way! I totally hate Otamega," I waved my arms, as if that made my argument stronger. He was not assured, because his smile only got bigger. This is not going anywhere. Luckily, I've learnt from experience that my brother's silence can be brought with money. Also, if I didn't do that, he'd be singing about this loudly and obnoxiously all the way home.

"Yeah, obviously this isn't working. How much do I have to pay you to not mention this to my friends or Nee-san."

"Yeah, I'm a bit short to get this game." He held up a box with a whole bunch of girls in soccer uniforms, "Just pay the difference and I won't mention what happened today to anyone."

And so I left, my wallet seven thousand yen lighter than when I came in. Chitose was grinning from ear to ear about his new game, and possibly more blackmail material. Evil little kid!

"Nee-chan…" I looked from my emptying wallet to my Demon Spawn Brother, "If you want to date that Otoshigami guy, you have my approval."

"Shut up!"

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**So there you have it, Chihiro visits a game shop for the first time, only to nearly run into the last person in the world she wants to see. I wish I was a better writer, because I don't really think I portrayed her nervousness well. I guess I really prefer third person because that's all about what you see and less about how you feel.**

**Anyhoo, I know I haven't mentioned it in the last three chapters, but please review. I like reviews... It makes posting my story here feel worthwhile. Also, I can't really improve this story without some feedback.**


	7. And so, I got a ring

**So it turnes out, I'm really lazy... Even with this story just needing minor editing, I still don't post everyday. I guess I'll take that promise back then.**

**I wonder why that surprises me, considering I've lived with myself for nineteen years.**

**Anyhoo, so we continue. By the way, I've finally hit canon... Whoohoo!**

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When I went back to school the next week, sakura petals were flying everywhere. At least Spring is good for something. The place really looked so pretty, but they kept flying into my hair. I made sure to dust myself off properly when I came inside.

Though speaking of Sakura petals, the game I brought on Saturday was actually based in Spring, so there was this one heartwarming, if not slightly awkward scene where I, the main character, get those petals picked out of my hair by some cute guy. Instead of the usual character standing in front of you, they had put a picture where you could actually see me, looking embarrassed as Daisuke holds a petal in my face with a teasing smile. While I had to roll my eyes at how corny this was, it was still quite enjoyable. I wouldn't mind a romance like that for myself.

I was pretty bored during Japanese history. Then, I heard Miyako snickering somewhere behind me. Then I noticed Sensei was standing feet away from me by Otamega's desk. This idiot is in for it again…

"Katsuragi Keima-kun…" He looked up from his PFP. Incidentally, my brother has one of those as well. I borrowed it so I could play my 'Bakers from Heaven' game.

"What could be more fun than my class?" she asked. Anything else other than Japanese history, I mentally replied, even though the question wasn't directed at me. Honestly, I can see why Otamega would rather play games for the rest of his life than here this boring tripe that happened so long ago.

"Sorry. Please wait for me to reach a save point," he continued playing. Up went the textbook. It descended on his head with such force that the sound echoed out of the classroom as well.

Sure enough, his PFP was confiscated and that brief moment of interest disappeared. I sighed and clicked my mechanical pencil some more. I guess I should actually take notes and stuff now.

At lunch, as I was walking back from getting lunch, I noticed a new hole in one of the pillars and rubble on the floor… Ayumi must have come here. Come to think of it, there were actually quite a few today. I guess she's really excited for that meet.

She was telling me about how she was chosen to run at the first meet of the year. She was quite excited because the Third years in her club were being pains, so they'd finally back off if she won. Honestly, considering that she runs fast enough to run into a wall and dent it, I think she'll do it. She's a great runner. Even when we were kids, I was never any competition to her during our races.

But that was around the time I actually cared to try. After I noticed that my effort was getting me nowhere, I just stopped trying.

After school, me and Mappy-chan decided to get some taiyaki. It was pretty convenient, because Inazumart was only a few minutes walk. While we were waiting for our pastries at the indoor stall, my phone vibrated.

"Hey, Chihiro-chan XD. What are you doing now?" I read out aloud. Mappy-chan took a bite out of her taiyaki.

"Who was that?" I looked at the address.

"It's Shinji-kun," I replied. She smiled teasingly.

"Oooh! So what'll you say?"

"Well, I'm kinda hanging out with you…"

"Just tell him you're free. It sounds like he might be interested in you," I sighed and complied.

"I'm just hanging around. Don't you have practice today?"

In a few seconds, I got a reply.

"Nah, they're doing repairs in the gym, so we get a break :). Do you wanna hang out for a bit?"

Mappy-chan was so excited she was nearly squealing. I had to calm her down before I could reply that we'd meet outside the school in ten minutes. I put my phone away, and Mappy-chan was starting at me intensely.

"So… Is that a date then?" she asked. I rubbed my head.

"He didn't say so," I shrugged. Even if my tone was nonchalant, my cheeks were getting a bit hot.

"I guess either way, you still get to hang out with him. So do you like him?"

"I… I don't think so. He's cute, but we're friends," my cheeks were getting pinker. I hated getting interrogated like that. On the other hand, it was kinda nice to have a friend who was curious enough to actually ask embarrassing questions like that.

"Don't worry. You can still work on that. If you're going to hang out with him, why don't you take a taiyaki for him as well? I bet that'd make a good impression."

I thought about that for a second then nodded. Besides, the way to a guy's heart is through his stomach, so I'm sure it would be a good idea. We went back and got an extra one for him, hopefully he doesn't mind red bean…

Near school, Mappy-chan and I parted ways, but just the fact she was slinking off probably meant there would be some date peeping involved. I sighed and walked over to school gate.

"Chihiro-chan!" he greeted me happily, before looking at the fish-shaped pastries that were in my hands, "What's up with the taiyaki?"

"I was at Inazumart, so I got some," I handed him his one. He smiled and thanked me, "so what do you have in mind, exactly?"

"Uuuuhhh," he stretched his words out, as if he was thinking about it, "I got nothing, actually. I guess anything would be fun."

I laughed at that sheepish look on his face. He really was so cute.

"Well, I don't really know what interests you, other than basketball…" an idea popped into my head, "though maybe we could go to that arcade on the second floor of Inazumart… I think they have one of those basketball-like games in there," his smile got even bigger.

"That'd be great! I was pretty bummed that practice got cancelled, but bow I can practice and even play some other fun stuff."

"I'm okay with anything… As long as you know I'm only paying for myself…" He mock pouted.

"Aww, but who's going to pay for me?"

"Don't look at me… I already got you a free taiyaki…" he laughed and mussed up my hair again. I think he did it with more vigour than he expected, because I had to take of my clip so I could flatten my hair.

"You know, Chihiro-chan, I think you'd look cute if you tied your hair in little pigtails or a ponytail," he commented. I didn't really like people making remarks about my hair, but I let it pass, after a brief pause.

"I've tried, but my hair is really too short. It always comes out after a few minutes."

"Oh… I thought girls liked doing stuff with their hair."

"Some do… Personally, I cut my hair short because it tangles really easily for me. It's just easier for me to handle anyway."

"Well, I guess you're the one brushing it, so you can do whatever you want with it…" he laughed and started eating his taiyaki.

We walked in silence for the rest of the trip. I was actually thinking about my hair as well. Not that I had mentioned it to Shinji-kun, but there was another reason I cut my hair. I liked being able to do stuff with it, but my older sister also had nice long hair, and because her hair was nicer than mine, she'd get a lot of attention and my relatives would also make snide remarks on how thin and scraggly my hair looks. I kind of gave up after that and just kept my hair short. I guess it's better for me anyway. At least when it's short, less people can see whether it's limp or full of volume.

"Chihiro-chan…" Shinji-kun waved in my face. I stopped. We were in front of Inazumart.

"You seem really out of it," he stood in front of me, "what'cha thinking about?" Obviously, I couldn't tell the truth, so I just smiled.

"Just about how I'm going to whip your ass at basketball," I replied cheekily. His eyes lit up at the challenge.

"Fat chance! I'll wipe the floor with you instead…" he then dashed into the mall. I could see a few eyes on us. I didn't want to appear childish by running, but he was still flying, taking the stair three at a time. I sighed and walked as fast as I could. After all, I'm seventeen now… I'm too old for running outside of gym.

For the rest of the day, we played arcade games. The Mappy game isn't around anymore, but we still got to race around in cars and shoot stuff and as promised, we played basketball. Obviously, he won… By how much… You don't need to know that…

It was still loads of fun. I haven't played like this in ages. Still, what Mappy-chan had said earlier… his didn't feel like a date at all… I'm not really sure what a date is supposed to be like, but I imagined I'd be more nervous. I actually felt really relaxed. Plus, all he's been is friendly for the last two hours.

Weirdly enough, I'm okay with that. Somehow, despite him being so cute and sweet, I don't have a crush on him.

We were cashing our tickets in for some crappy prizes when I noticed this really cute ring with a sunflower on it. Of course, I got that one. The lady at the counter handed it to Shinji-kun. He laughed and grabbed my right hand.

"My princess, I believe this is yours," he placed it into my palms and closed my fingers.

"Ah, thank you, my prince…" I slid it onto my ring finger, "I shall treasure this and wear it every day… until it gets confiscated at school…"

We laughed and headed off on our merry way… Then I figured out something…

There's no way I have a crush on him…

I don't think my pulse rose at all… and trust me, I checked. I wonder if my brain is broken...

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**So there you go... That was not a date.**

**Still, I enjoyed writing this. I kinda feel like going to an arcade myself. They never have any nice prizes though.**

**So as usual, please review. This story is only getting started now, so there's still quite a it to come. **

**Of course, if you feel like I'm derailing Chihiro, it's easier to fix it now compared to later.**

**Ja ne... I'll be back in a few days.**


	8. And so, I did Cleaning Duty

**Hi again, everyone. I'm back! Did anyone miss me?**

***crickets chirp***

**Kay...awkward... Well, whatever, here's chapter 8. Just so you know, I'm probably going to be a bit slower with updating now. Unfortunately, the editing went to point where I'm basically rewriting chapters. It's pretty screwed up, but I love writing this, so I don't care...**

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As I was walking to school, I passed some banners by the field. There were loads of them and all of them were cheering Ayumi on. I wonder if I missed something…

In class, I got the firsthand view of Ayumi beating up Otamega. Normally, I'd try and put a stop to that, but I'm sure either way, he probably had it coming. He's probably going to get a lot of that if he continues being as creepy as he usually is.

"Hi Ayumi, I see you're having fun," I commented, watching the battered and bruised weirdo hobbling to his desk, "I think you may have gone a bit overboard though."

"Otamega started it…" she grumbled and sat down in her desk.

"What did he do this time?"

"Yesterday, while I was running, he started cheering me on… And today, he put up those stupid banners."

The hair on the back of my neck stood up a little bit. That's just plain creepy… Since Day 1, he's been going on about how much real girls suck and now he's actually trying to make an effort for one… What Twilight Zone did I step in now?

Unless… maybe he's grown to like Ayumi? It's not really logical, but it might make sense that he has a crush on Ayumi and is trying to impress her. That thought bothers me somewhat,

"Maybe he likes you," I replied, trying to pass it off as a joke, but failing.

Seeing that Otamega only knows games, maybe he believes that cheering on Ayumi is the way to her heart. I think Chitose was telling me about some game that does like that… Still, I'm quite surprised… I know Ayumi's popular with the guys, but to think that she'd attract that brand of guy… it's kind of laughable…

She pondered for a few seconds then dismissed it.

"He's getting back at me, because I tried to shove my cleaning duties on him yesterday," she groaned and put her head tiredly on her desk. She's probably practicing hard for the meet, so I can't blame her… I'm guessing this whole Otamega cheering thing isn't helping either. I think now's a good time to change topics.

"Do you want to see something?" I asked, digging my right hand into my pocket. I'm sure I put that ring in there.

She nodded so I pulled the ring out.

"That's so cute," she cooed, taking it out of my hand and inspecting it.

"Yeah, I won it yesterday. It was so much better compared to those other crappy prizes that we saw yesterday…"

"We?"

"Oh, me and Shinji-kun. We ended up going to the arcade yesterday."

Of course, just the mention of a guy was enough to distract her from the ring. Of course, she grilled me for details, and I happily gave them to her. Even though I hate answering questions like that, at least Ayumi looks a little happier. It kinda seems like something is bugging her. I wonder if the whole Otamega cheering thing is that bad.

We ended up talking about that until class started.

Class was pretty boring otherwise, and the whole day went past in a monotonous blur. I was quite looking forward to seeing Shinji-kun after school, but as if fate would have it, I got detention after school for not doing my homework… What's new?

As part of my detention, I got extra cleaning duties for today, even though my actual turn wasn't until next week, so that killed my plan horribly. I just wanted to get this over and done with now. So after school, I made a beeline to the broom locker by the stair case. Everyone would be out by the time I got back so at least I could work as fast and as sloppily as I wanted to.

I guess I gave my class too much credit, because after the fifteen minutes it took me to fill the bucket with water and get the mops and brooms, there was still one person sitting at their desk, frantically pressing buttons like their life depended on it. I sighed.

"Otamega, just leave already. I can't clean with you here."

"I don't want to. That crazy bugged demon will be waiting outside. She won't come here at least," he muttered. This wasn't really the answer I wanted to hear. I want to clean here already so I can go home and sleep or something.

"I don't really care. If you're going to stay here, at least go sit by the corner or something," he thought for a second and decided to make himself a useful being for once and pushed some of the desks to the side of the class. That was nice of him, considering I didn't even ask him to go that far.

"Thanks," I said quietly.

"I'm not doing anymore work, but I won't stay in your way," he said, making himself comfortable in his seat after pushing 20 or so desks to the side. I was actually really grateful. That horrible scratching of the legs on the tiles annoyed my ears, yet somehow, he did it without all that sound. At least half the desks won't screech today.

I put in my earphones and turned on some music on my phone. That kind of helped with the boredom. Otamega was ignoring me anyway, so at least there's no awkward small talk or anything necessary.

About 15 minutes into my sloppy cleaning fest, I heard a knock on the door. I pulled out one ear .

"Who is it?"

The door slid open an inch.

"Is this class 2-B?" A dark eye peeked into the room.

"Err, why do you ask?" The answer was pretty obvious, considering the hanging plaque outside our classroom.

"I'm looking for Keima Katsuragi," I peeked into the corner where Otamega was sitting. He was shaking his head and mouthing no. It was a pretty obvious hint.

"This is 2-B, but Ot-Katsuragi isn't here. You should try the roof," whoever was outside seemed satisfied, because they disappeared with a faint twinkling sound. I wonder if I heard that wrong…

After I closed the door, I noticed Otamega was standing up, putting his PFP away.

"Why did you have me lie if you're just going to leave now anyway?" I asked, irritated. He shrugged.

"I can't hide from her forever anyway. Let's just get it over and done with," he started walking out and a weird kind of desperation seized me for a second.

"Wait," he stopped and turned back, "you have chalk in your hair."

I was really surprised myself… Honestly, I hadn't intended to call him at all. I really don't get why I did call him. At least that chalk thing wasn't a lie. Nikaido-sensei threw a board duster at him during last period.

He rubbed his hair a bit.

"Is it out?" he looked strangely concerned, considering his appearance didn't matter to him. I laughed.

"Not at all…" I tried to indicate on my head where the white powder was, but he kept missing it, and I was starting to get a bit frustrated as well.

"Look, it's over here…" and I stepped up to him and dusted if off for myself without really thinking. It only took me a moment to get it off, but only then did I realise how close I was. And the fact that I was listening to a love song didn't help at all. I could feel a wave of heat creeping up my own face, so I stepped back, unfortunately, slipping on the newly mopped floor.

"D-don't get so close!" he shouted, before leaving the room. I had nothing to say.

He was right. I shouldn't have gone so close, because I figured out something horrible… And all because of that one simple move of dusting his hair.

I like him…

Exactly the thing you want to figure out when you're flat on your bum…

I sighed and got up, rubbing my sore butt bone. I guess the impact was a bit much. And now my skirt is a bit wet too, because I was waving my wet mop around too much. Just great!

What the hell is wrong with me exactly? I'm supposed to hate that guy, yet somehow, my heart-rate is through the roof and my cheeks are probably as pink as a strawberry. And this probably wasn't the first time I felt like this around him, but it was much more obvious today.

I looked at my palm, that had been in his soft brown hair just two minutes go, and my cheeks flared up again…

Well… Shit... What do I do now? I'm so screwed…

* * *

**Wahahahaha! In my original go at writing this, she wasn't supposed to figure she liked Keima... till like Chapter 12, so now a lot of rewriting is in order. In any case, I'm hoping it wasn't too sudden a revelation. I did try to show the small signs, but I'm not that subtle a writer, so I probably screwed that up.**

**In any case, here is your chapter. Hopefully I'll update over the weekend. The manga is coming out on Friday night, so Chihiro will be back. I'm so freaking amped!**

**Speaking of amped, is anyone looking forward to Mekakucity Actors? It's coming out in a month now, and it'll be epic.**

**If you're a fan of the manga or the songs or the novel, feel free to drop a PM about that. If you're not... you should check it out. **

**Kana Asumi, who's Chihiro's voice actor will also be in that show, so I'm also quite excited about hearing her in that.**

**Okay, enough small talk. Please review, if you've got anything to say.**


	9. And so, I played Vii

**And so we begin again...**

**As usual, this last thing turned into more of a rewrite than an edit, but it seems like I'm finally on track... Though I doubt anyone cares.**

**This chapter is kinda a breather. After the embarrassment I put Chihiro through, I wanted to give her a break.**

**Anyhoo, another new character comes. They actually mentioned him in canon in Chapter 40ish of the manga, so as usual, I thought too hard and gave him a personality.**

**As for what his personality is... You better read on...**

* * *

When I went home that afternoon, after that horrible discovery, my brain was whirring like a chainsaw. I really just could not understand what had happened to me at all. Attraction has some pretty obvious physical signs, and for some reason, the class geek was setting them off on me.

I'd understand if he was good-looking… I'd understand if he was an admirable person… Heck, I'd even understand if he was nice to me, but he just didn't fit in any of those. He's an ill-natured, game-playing, girl-hating jerk. How could I possibly like him?

Still, a crush can be easily dealt with… After a bit of time and effort, I could send my attention someplace else, and my peace of mind could be restored. I felt much better after deciding that.

After a much needed bath, I heard the house telephone ring. The house wasn't empty or anything, but no one was answering it, so I picked up on the cordless phone.

"Hello…" I answered. I heard a slight gasp over the phone.

"Chihiro, baby… I bet you missed me," a voice trying too hard to be sultry came through. I recognised it immediately.

"What do you want, Keita?" I asked sourly. He tutted over the phone.

"Still playing hard to get, I see," he dropped his previous tone, "Where's Chitose?"

I peeked into Chitose's room, but he wasn't there. Though it seems like half of the clothes he owns were piled up on the floor. I swear my brother can't take out clothes without pulling the rest of his cupboard out.

"He's not here now. Should I have him call you back?"

"Nah, I want to stay and chat with you for a bit, my Beautiful Flower. How would you like to join me for some coffee this weekend?" my hand balled into a fist.

"No," I answered as I always do when he asks that, "for the hundredth time, we're cousins," he started talking, but I cut him off, "and no, even if we weren't cousins, you're still too young… and too forward…" He never really took my rejections that harshly anyway.

"How about if I said I've got your diary captive?" he said, cheekily. What diary?

"Nice try… I don't even have a diary."

"Sure you do. When you guys moved, we got a box of your stuff, and it was inside there."

"I don't believe you," I said, but I was worried now. I did have a diary when I was younger. It is a possibility that when we moved to this place two years ago, it could have been left there.

"If you think I'm lying, here's your proof: 'Dear Diary, today, me and Ayumi were'…" I recognized that. That definitely is mine.

"Okay! You've proved your point. Now when can I get it back?"

"How about on Saturday, when we go get coffee together?" That evil brat! Saturday is still ages away. He may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but even he'd manage to read through that whole book in the end.

"How about today, when I come over and whip your ass…" I was pleased, my voice sounded super threatening. And if I just hung out for a little bit, it'd be fine. As long as I get that diary back…

"You've got a deal if you stay for longer than an hour…"

"Got it then. I'll be over in half an hour. You better have the Vii set up before I get there."

"Yes, ma'am! A gaming date sounds good," he cut the call, sounding much happier. I felt a bit bad for being so harsh to him, but he really didn't get the hint otherwise. As I was dressing, I heard my brother coming out from the kitchen. I didn't know he was even home today. Of course, he'd be coming with me as well.

"Chitose!" I called and he came running… Such is the power of being an older sister… "Keita invited us over to play Vii. So are you coming?" He smiled widely.

"Of course! I haven't played in ages."

So, we made the half an hour walk to Maijima East to my Aunt's house. It was weird, passing all the buildings I used to see every day when I was younger. It really has been some time since we visited here.

I felt really guilty when Keita opened the door, holding out a rose for me, when he noticed I was with Chitose. It was a loophole in his words, but it was just plain mean. So I made up for that by being super nice to him the whole time I was there. Of course, kids always take advantage of kindness, so I still slapped him when he tried to cop a feel. God, what's wrong with fifteen year olds?

Still, I had fun. Playing racing games definitely took my mind off the whole thing this afternoon. He handed me back my diary as we were leaving.

"Even though we weren't alone, you came, so here's your diary back," he blushed, "and I'm sorry for nearly grabbing your butt. I don't know what I was thinking," he scratched his temple.

"You stopped, at least. Thanks for inviting us… well, me… over. I had fun today," He held up his arms for a hug, but I declined. I think he understood, considering what happened.

The rest of my day was pretty boring… I was too exhausted to do anything when I got home. I just threw my newly acquired diary in my desk and went to sleep.

* * *

The next day played out almost exactly the same as yesterday, I walked into class, seeing Otamega's head stuck into the wall. How the hell did Ayumi get so strong?

"Err, Ayumi, don't you think you're going to far here?" I asked her as she was putting her kicking leg down.

"No… He also came to cheer for me yesterday," oh yes, she had mentioned that before… I don't really understand why it irritated her so much.

"So why does that bug you? Is he distracting you or something?"

"Well… not really. But people in the club are starting to talk now, like me and O-o-otamega are dat-" she slammed her head down, as if the thought was too horrible to say out loud. It took a second to sink in, but I finally understood why it was bugging her, because it was the exact same thoughts that had come to me last night.

For some weird reason, I'm attracted to him. Still, I'd deny it frantically if anyone asked me. Unless I wanted to commit social suicide, no one will ever find out about this. Now, back to Ayumi's problem…

"Just tell him he's annoying you and you don't want to be associated with him. I'm sure he'll leave then," she sighed.

"I tried that yesterday, but he won't stop. If anything, his banners are getting even bigger now."

Oh yes, I saw that. Those banners were definitely more obvious compared to yesterday. I wonder what's up with that now.

"How about if you ignore him? I know my brother leaves if I ignore him," it was a silly thought, but I think I struck gold with her, because Ayumi stopped looking so bummed.

"You're a genius, Chihiro!" she exclaimed, a new fire shining in her eyes, "he's probably winding me, so I'm sure ignoring him will be just the thing."

"I kinda doubt it," I muttered, and went to my seat because Takahashi-sensei had come in for maths. Not that I can say I know Otamega very well, but he seems more stubborn than that. I really don't understand why he'd be bothering Ayumi at all. Both him and Ayumi would be happier if he'd just go play his games… Or not…

Suddenly, a horrible idea occurred to me. Could it be… he likes Ayumi…

I had said it in jest yesterday, but considering his usual antisocial behaviour, it has to be a pretty drastic change… A crush could fall under that.

I had decided yesterday that no matter what happens, I'd never ask Otamega out. I'd get laughed straight off the universe if I did something like that, and honestly, he's mean and unsociable anyway, so we have nothing in common, yet somehow, the thought of him liking Ayumi made my stomach sink. I had absolutely no right to think like that, considering how much I bad-mouthed him.

I ended up avoiding Ayumi for the rest of the day. I think my mood's too volatile now, and I don't want to say something I'd regret.

At lunch, I got some melon bread from Demeter, because as always, the omelette-soba bread is always sold out here. After that, I went to sit by Mappy-chan in our class. She looked pretty excited about something.

"So…" she asked expectantly as I pulled a chair and sat down.

"So…" I dragged out. I have no idea what she was expecting.

"So do you like him?"

* * *

**Oooohhh, pointless cliffhanger...**

**Well, Keita will probably come again later, but most likely, he'll have a bigger role in the sequel, coz someone has to help Chihiro learn guitar.**

**And I'm hoping that you got that Vii is a knockoff Wii, which coincidently happens to be my favourite gaming console for the time being. **

**Anyways, please review. It seems like whenever I write that, someone does listen, so I like that at least.**


	10. And so, I read my old diary

**Well, I thought I'd post up one more chapter before I go for the weekend.**

**Well, this continues from where I left off last week, so enjoy...**

* * *

I blanched for a second… If experience is anything, I am not going to enjoy this conversation at all.

"Do I like who?" I sat down. I considered just walking off, but I know if it's ever girls talking about crushes, the one in the interrogation seat will never get away. She smiled and waved her hand, like I was being silly.

"You know exactly who I'm talking about. You were so flirting with him yesterday," I nearly choked on my melon bread. After I painfully swallowed that chunk, I hastily shook my hands. Oh, God, she knows. She must've been around after school yesterday.

I had no clue what to say in my defence, because if she'd actually seen me and Otamega in the window after school, there weren't any words in the world which could save me. Still, it didn't stop me from trying.

"W-what are you talking about? There's no way I could like that guy!" my voice was just one octave off from being hysterical, which wasn't helping my case at all. As I suspected, she wasn't convinced at all.

"Then why is your face redder than a firetruck now?" I wanted to smack that smug look on her face.

"My face isn't red, okay!" Man, why can't I think straight? I'm being so obvious now.

And if one person knows, it means everyone's gonna know… And now I'll have to transfer from this school with my tail between my legs…

"Aww, stop being so shy. It's obvious you like Akagi-kun…"

Err, what? Akagi… like Shinji… Akagi…

Wait… who were we talking about?

"We're… talking about Shinji-kun… right?" I asked uncertainly. Her head went off to the side.

"Of course… Who did you think I was talking about?"

I felt so stupid now that I almost facepalmed. Of course she was talking about him. I was right about her date peeping before.

"But… uh… I didn't even see Shinji-kun yesterday," I replied weakly. At least I wouldn't have to answer her previous question. She looked confused.

"Didn't you go to the arcade with him yesterday?"

"No, it was the day before that, idiot!" I was harsher than I needed to be, but seriously, I made a total fool of myself and put myself in a complete panic… All because she forgot the freaking date! What the hell is wrong with me!

"Ohh…" I could almost see the memory rushing back, "You're right… Yesterday I was at Judo, so I can't have seen you guys…"

"So you're doing Judo now… How's that going?" I said, steering the subject elsewhere. I don't really know how perceptive she is, but if she joined the dots, she'd know something happened yesterday.

"It's going good… Now back to the subject. What was up with that reaction? You definitely like someone, don't you?" despite my brains best pleas; I could feel my face getting hotter again, like I was getting a fever or something. She'd never believe if I lied and said no.

"Fine, you're right… I like…" I hesitated for a second, "I like Shinji-kun," I tried to pass of my embarrassment as getting caught out."

"No you don't," her eyes were dead serious, "you weren't even looking at me, so you have to be lying."

"I wasn't…" I said softly, but it sounded more like an excuse than anything. She caught on my tone, because her face just fell. All that excitement that was in her face at the start of this conversation was completely gone.

"I'm your friend, Chiro-chan. Do you not trust me enough to tell me the truth?" she asked softly. I don't know if she was trying to guilt trip me or if she was actually concerned about how much I trusted her, but either way, I felt bad. Still, I'd feel much worse if I told the truth. I steeled my voice.

"I wasn't lying. I really do like Shinji-kun."

"Really?" she looked up, and I could see slight tears appearing at her eyes.

"Of course," I pulled my hands into a fist, like I was about to take over some new land or something.

"Can I root for you then? I'll even help you confess to him…"

"Sure! That'd be great," I knew I'd regret this later, but for the time being, Mappy-chan didn't look as dejected as before. Hopefully, it'd be alright.

For a few minutes after that, we talked about the ring and I got her opinion on how our arcade date looked to an outsider. Apparently we looked really close, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't bring myself to care.

That night, when I was at home, I pulled out that diary I had gotten from Keita yesterday. I was actually quite excited about that. It's like connecting with a completely different person… until you realise you were the idiot who was on the writing side of the story.

While I hadn't really looked at the cover before, it was actually quite cute. It was blue, and me, being the artistic soul I was, had covered just about every surface in different stickers. For some strange reason, I even had stickers of clothes and anime characters, which was just strange. I can't even remember the last time I watched anime, so this has got to be a really old diary. I opened it up.

_Dear diary_

I rolled my eyes. Talk about corny and unoriginal… At least it's in multicoloured crayon.

_I don't understand it. I thought going to school would be so fun, like how Nee-san had told me, but it's boring. All we do is learn kanji and numbers. The only good thing is that Ayumi is with me. Ka-san never lets me go to the convenience store alone, so she says I can go with Ayumi._

_I'm going to get so much candy that I'll turn as round as a ball._

After that was a crayon drawing of me in a mountain of candy. I wonder if child me was disappointed when she found out that her allowance wasn't even enough for more than a bag of candy. And I have to say, me hoping to eat enough candy to become a ball… that's just weird.

Well, if I was starting school, I was probably six years old or so, so it's okay that I was strange.

Even still, I couldn't stop smiling at the thought of a child me, going to get candy with Ayumi. My parents were okay with us hanging out together, because we've basically known each other since birth. Apparently my parents moved in the same neighbourhood as Ayumi's folks before I was even born so we've been together since we were little tots.

I turned over to the next page.

_Dear diary_

_We learned how to make rain today. All you need is a plate and a kettle. It was really cool, but Nee-san was saying that rain is the sky crying and__ condensasion is the plate crying. I feel sorry for the plate. I don't think anyone should cry. So we put up the Teru Teru Bozu to make the sky laugh and be happy._

I had also drawn a Teru Teru Bozu with a funny face.

I don't know… it seems like my attitude has definitely soured up over the years. I was actually a pretty sweet kid. I wonder what happened to turn me into this apathetic teenager with no drive in my life.

I decided to call it a night there. Just knowing that younger me was a more nicer me kind of made me feel… sad…

I ended up throwing myself into my Girls Walker magazine to make myself feel better. It seems like the music awards will be happening soon. They were talking about that on the TV earlier as well.

I think I'll go see it. It seems like it'll be on in a week and it's not like I have anything better to do.

* * *

**I can see the ending...**

**It was announced 2 days ago that The World God Only Knows manga is wrapping up now. I don't know if it means at the end of the next chapter or the next three, but it was quite depressing to hear.**

**Still, I'm looking forward as to whether they will have Keima apologizing to the Goddess hosts and Chihiro for what happened during the Goddess Arc. I just want a happy and unrushed ending for this awesome manga, but who knows.**

**Well, I'll put my predictions out there. I don't think Keima will end up with any of the girls, but he will be on good terms and make up with them.**

**Though of course, Keima and Chihiro will still be my ideal ending.**

**Anyhoo, review please. You know I like those.**


	11. And so, I hit my head

**So it's actually been a week since I last updated. I apologize for putting up Chapter 9 twice last week, but I put in the wrong file by mistake. **

**Anyhoo, That error's fixed and now I'm posting up Chapter 11. Honestly, I'm not a fan of this one, because it's more angsty than usual, but seeing that Chihiro's conquest is mostly angsty, I guess I'll get in some practice.**

**And so, here's Chapter 11**

* * *

I had a very comforting thought when I woke up this morning. After mulling it over a bit, I concluded that there was no way I could like Otamega. I'm probably getting all nervous because I don't have many guy friends, so I'm just over thinking it.

Also the accelerated heartbeats and the red face… I get that from running as well, and that sure as hell doesn't mean I like running. I guess that kind of goes to show my fitness level… Maybe I should actually run once in a while.

I got up with enough time to spare that I didn't have to run to school. So I took a leisurely walk to Maijima high, which for some reason, had huge skull shaped helium balloons holding up three vertical banners on the front. Considering each banner had "I LOVE AYUMI" written on them in bold, I'm guessing this is Otamega's doing, because Ayumi has been complaining about that for the last few days. If Ayumi hadn't told me personally that they weren't dating, I would have assumed otherwise.

It seemed like Ayumi was still at her morning practice, because she wasn't at class when I arrived. I ended up chatting with Miyako about the maths homework we had due for today. As I suspected, I made some stupid mistakes. I guess that's what you get for trying to watch a drama on TV and doing work at the same time.

"Hey guys," Ayumi came to Miyako's desk. First thing I noticed were the bags under her eyes.

"What did I tell you about practicing till so late, Ayumi," I chastised her. She frowned.

"It wasn't that. I couldn't sleep properly last night because I kept thinking about tomorrow's meet… Also, ignoring Otamega didn't work at all. He put up more banners today," she punched Miyako's table, leaving a dent. I shivered. If that's what she's doing to the innocent desk which was just in her way, what'll happen to the guy who was actually responsible?

"I wouldn't worry about so much, Ayumi," Miyako put her two cents in as well, "meets are more about trying your best and having fun than it is about winning," that seemed to be the wrong thing to say because Ayumi grabbed the side of the desk and squeezed it in frustration, causing another dent to appear. Seriously, where does she get all that strength? That doesn't even seem human now.

"I have to win tomorrow! I won't get any respect from the Senpais otherwise!" She was nearly fuming now, so I knew I had to distract her.

"You'll do great, Ayumi! Every time before a meet you get nervous, but you still do great. More importantly, where do you want to have your celebration tea?"

"Oohara's, of course. It's been ages since I've had ramen," her passion got directed elsewhere for a second before she calmed down, "you're right. I've been trying my hardest. All I have left is to trust in my ability tomorrow," she shoved her fist into the air, but I could tell she wasn't into it. She actually looked really sad, even though it was just for a moment.

Takahashi-sensei came in to start maths, so we had to go back to our seats. I hope Ayumi's okay.

As soon as the glass had greeted and bowed to him, he started out handing out papers. Funnily enough, our row didn't get any. It seemed like he was giving them to every second row. What's going on now?

"Okay, so this task is pair work. Everyone who has a paper must work with the person on their left. I'll come and collect this in half an hour," he then walked out of class muttering something about coffee. I guess even teacher get tired of school.

I looked towards my right. It was this girl I never really talk to but her name… Kurohashi? It's something like that. She was looking at the guy in front of me though.

"Kosaka-san," I turned back to the front, where What's-his-face was looking at me. I really couldn't remember his name at all.

"Would you mind if we swapped seats for this lesson?"

"Err… why?"

"I was hoping I could work with my girlfriend," I looked at… Kurohashi… was it? She was nodding eagerly, so I just agreed. It's not like it can hurt, can it? And if I didn't, most likely she'd spend the lesson making googly eyes at What's-his-face, so I'd get stuck with all the work.

Of course, only when I sat down in What's-his-face's seat did I remember who I was sitting next to now. Ugh…

"Otamega!" I called. He stopped clicking his buttons for a second to show he was listening, "so how are we going to do this?"

"I don't know. What happened to the other guy who was here?"

"What's-his-face-kun?" I looked back, where the two of them were making gooey eyes at each other. I guess making out isn't really an option here, considering class should be a PG-13 place, regardless of whether the teacher was here or not, "he's… uh… working with his girlfriend now…"

I felt distinctly uncomfortable watching that…

"Okay, you do the first fifteen questions and I'll do the last fifteen," and that was all he said before getting into his game… I guess that's fair… So I took out a fresh sheet of paper and started working through the questions. Luckily, I'd revised this section a few nights ago, so I knew what I needed to do. About ten questions in, a hand slapped on the desk. Takahashi-sensei is back, with a huge mug.

"Kosaka… Katsuragi… Are you doing your work?"

No Sensei… I just do maths equations for fun… Besides, why are you bugging me and not the lovebirds behind us?

"Yes, we're about ten questions in, Takahashi-sensei…" I muttered.

"No, you're ten questions in. Besides, it's pair work for a reason, you know? You're supposed to discuss this, but you two haven't even joined your desks yet," I sighed and scooted my desk over till they were touching, so Sensei would leave.

Unfortunately, that put me in my own bind. I was starting to get nervous again, and I kept making stupid mistakes in the equations. What the hell's going on with me?

After I scratched out an equation for the fifth time, Otamega snatched the paper out from under my hands. I guess he was also as frustrated as I was at my non-functioning brain. I let it go and just let him have a go and give my brain a break to sort itself out.

It was kind of a stupid move, because without the maths buzzing around my head, I noticed how our chairs were only two feet apart. He was tapping his fingertips on his PFP screen that was lying on his lap, and just for a second, I imagined grabbing his hand. I was close enough for that…

My eyes widened and I could feel a rush of heat coming up my face, so I did the first thing I could to dispel the thoughts. I hit my head hard against my desk… and again… and again… The image only disappeared after that.

I lifted my head and sure enough, my head was hurting now. I rubbed it with my palm.

"Are you an idiot?" Otamega looked at me from the page, "You're going to lose brain cells like that."

"I don't want to hear that from you," I retorted, gritting my teeth, "All your brain cells must've died when you became an Otaku. Besides, that was an accident."

"So… You hit your head… three separate times… by accident?" that arched eyebrow and sarcastic as hell tone made it certain that he didn't believe me.

"Shut up!" I shoved my chair as far to the right as I could. I don't like that guy's eyes… It's like he can see into my brain when he looks at me.

"You know your head is bleeding, right?" I pulled off my hand, and true to his words, they were red.

"Well, that sucks…" I went to ask if I could go to the nurse's office, but I nearly tripped. He got worried, so obviously, I got escorted to the nurse. Luckily, it was by Mappy-chan. I guess Takahashi-sensei did that so both our partners could work while we're gone.

"What happened to you?" She looked really concerned.

"Accident," I muttered. She left it at that, which was probably a good thing for me. I really need to get my thoughts in order.

After I was all patched up and had washed my face, Mappy-chan asked if my head was hurting. Strangely enough, despite the blood, the dull ache was gone and only if I touched the bump on my head did anything actually hurt.

Still, I felt quite ashamed of myself. I know hurting yourself is normal, but I'd put a decent sized gash which'll take weeks to heal and the blood still hasn't come out of my fringe… and all because of one stupid thought. I looked at my hand and squeezed it in and out of fists, but I still felt uneasy.

Otamega just makes me feel weird… I'd be lying to myself if I said otherwise… Still, I don't think it's a crush. Usually the guys I like would be smart and cute and kind, and would have whole fan clubs devoted to them, but Otamega is just a game-playing, average looking guy who's a jerk and doesn't care what other people think.

Still, he does have moments where he's almost nice… Like when I gave him that brush and he said thank you… Or when I was cleaning yesterday and he helped me push the tables to the side… Or even today, when I kept making mistakes, he took the paper and did the problems himself… And he also told me my head was bleeding. True, I would have noticed it myself a bit later, but maybe he isn't such a bad guy after all.

"Ne, Chiro-chan… You're being awfully quiet," Mappy-chan commented, "is something wrong?"

"A lot of things are…" I sighed, "but I don't think anyone has the power to change it…"

I was lying though. I had the power to change it. With this whole Otamega thing, I was sailing on dangerous waters and I didn't want to stir up anything more. If I ever wanted to get my peace of mind back, I knew exactly what I'd need to do.

When I reached class, I pulled What's-his-faces desk away from Otamega's. He held out the answers he'd completed to me.

"They're done now. Just hand them in and go back to your seat," I handed them in to Takahashi-sensei, who just nodded. What's-his-face also went back to his seat next to Otamega, so I just sat back in mines, kind of sullen.

As soon as I sat down, Otamega turned to face me. I tried to ignore that little skip my heart took.

"You're friends with Ayumi, aren't you?"

"Why does it matter to you?" I frowned.

"It doesn't… You know Ayumi better than me…"

"So what of it?"

"What does she like?"

"She likes it when nerdy losers don't cheer her on when she's running," I replied shortly. Even if he doesn't show his emotions much, I'm pretty sure he was surprised at me. I was surprised myself, but I had to do this.

"Ayumi doesn't want to catch your Otakuness, so just stay away from her," with that, I turned my head away and brought out a magazine, but for once in my life, I didn't bring it out to read.

I made sure my eyes we well covered on both sides, because I could feel them brimming with tears. I never would have expected saying such harsh words to him would hurt me so much, but as much as my heart hurt now, I was protecting myself from something much bigger. It's for the best really.

After school, Ayumi fell over a hurdle and twisted her ankle. I tried to talk her up and remind her that once it healed in a few days, she could run, but something just kept hinting that Ayumi didn't want to run.

I didn't want her to quit though. I've always admired her unwavering commitment and the sacrifices she made to get better at running, so if she gave up, all that effort would be for nothing. To improve as a person, you have to fail once in a while.

For me, I don't mind giving up. I just never put in much effort in all facets of my life, so it isn't like it's a waste. That's why it's okay to be mean to Otamega.

No matter what I do or say to him, Ayumi is the one who he likes, so it just doesn't matter. All I can do is pretend my feelings are platonic and just wait until they actually reach that point…

* * *

**Okay, this turned into one hell of a long chapter, but trust me, come conquest time, this'll be child's play.**

**So as usual, it's manga time comments. Chapter 265 just reminds me of how wow awesomely powerful the Goddesses are. I guess now Keima's back, they can go batshit crazy on Satire and wrap up the story. Though this story can only end when Keima opens his eyes, and there'll be another two weeks wait for that. I wonder if it's just me who feels the arc fatigue or if it's everyone...**

**Well, Mekakucity Actors is also starting around then, so I guess I'll be looking forward to then.**

**So feel free to review then, and I hope you enjoyed that.**


	12. And so, I pushed a Senpai

The next morning, while I was getting ready for school, I got a call from Ayumi.

"Hi, Chihiro. Are you coming to the meet today?"

I was surprised she was up to talking about it, considering her sprained ankle from yesterday. I wonder if something happened.

"Well, if you're not running, I wasn't planning on coming. Why do you ask?"

"Well… you see…" she hesitated for a second, then started speaking really fast, "I was actually pretending that I hurt my leg yesterday, because I had no confidence that I'd win. I'm feeling better now, so I wanted to know if you'd come support me again."

I was torn at this. Half of me wanted to scream at Ayumi for making me worry, and the other half was so relieved that she was feeling alright. The relieved side was winning.

"Wow, you're an idiot. Still, I'll always support you, no matter how big an idiot you act. When did you start feeling better?"

"I think it was last night. I just realised I was putting too much pressure on myself and all I needed to do was run as fast as I can and just enjoy myself. After I realised that, it all just fell into place. So I'm going to run now."

"That's a relief. I was worried that you would never want to race again."

"I'm sorry for making you worry. Although yesterday, it did feel like there was some huge weight on my heart, whispering for me to quit. It seems to have gone away now."

"That's great. I'll see you at school then."

I was really happy for Ayumi. It takes a lot of strength to bring yourself up when you're in the dumps. The fact that she did it was pretty amazing.

At school, Ayumi nearly ran into me, but I dodged, causing her to run into a pillar. The plaster cracked, which made me happy I wasn't in the way of the Mai High Missile.

She jumped up from the wreckage unharmed, which was a relief, but one of the partypooper teachers saw her and gave her break detention for vandalising school property. In her defence though, she wasn't vandalising… She was wrecking… Like that's so much better.

The day went horribly slowly, as usual… As per my promise to myself yesterday, I mostly ignored Otamega, minus throwing a scathing glare his way once in a while and muttering a few harsh words at him. Of course, if he ever heard them, he returned them in his own "real girls suck" statements. It was starting to work… Those phrases, which hadn't come easy at first, were starting to flow out more smoothly, and his own smartass replies were only fuelling my anger. Heck, it's Friday, but I bet I can make sure he hates me before the weekend even starts.

As I was going to get lunch, Ayumi was waiting outside the door for me.

"Are you in a bad mood, Chihiro?" she asked earnestly. I was curious as to why she'd think that.

"Not particularly… Why do you ask?"

"You've been at Katsuragi's neck all day. What's up with that?" I scoffed. The better question is since when has she called him that? I'm pretty certain she didn't call him that yesterday…

"It's because he's been asking for it," I folded my arms, "besides, why are you calling him Katsuragi?"

Her face turned a bit pink, despite it being an innocent question. I felt a smile come onto my face. It's a good time to get her back for all her teasing she'd been sending my way for twelve years.

"Could it be…" I said in a totally teasing voice, as I leaned over her, "that after all that cheering, you're starting to like him?" she scuttled away from me, her face almost glowing from her blush. If it was winter, I bet I could have used her as a radiator. I was triumphant!

"Don't be stupid, Chihiro. Besides, what's the whole 'cheering' thing you're going on about?" she diverted the subject, but she's not going to get off that easily.

"You know…" I paused for a second, trying to think, yet somehow, I couldn't remember it at all. How is that possible that the more I try, the less I can hold on to? It's like trying to hold onto water.

"Err… what was I talking about again?" I said stupidly. I really couldn't remember.

"You were telling me how psyched you were to watch me run today," she said with a huge smile… Eh, whatever I was thinking about probably wasn't that important anyway…

So we chatted about that all the way to Demeters. Her confidence is really back in full swing now.

After school, we went to the field, where a bunch of students and parents were sitting, bringing out the lunch boxes. Ayumi's mother was there, so I got to eat some riceballs and sausages shaped like octopi. It's been ages since I've eaten with those two.

Unfortunately, the pleasantries were disrupted by one of third years from the Track and Field club.

"So… I hear you're just a little liar who'd throw an injury just to get out of running. Why are you even here?"

My hands curled into fists at her rudeness, but Ayumi seemed strangely in control of herself. She didn't even look mad.

"Yeah, I did do that, but at least I'm not a bully like you who would purposely sabotage a race to try and win," Ayumi said coolly. I was quite impressed.

"There's no way that it could ever come back to me, Idiot. Besides, you're only worth anything if you can run fast. You still suck, so if I were you, I'd put on my bandages and hobble home."

How about I put you in bandages! And this time, they'll be real. Ayumi seemed to sense my anger, because she put her hand on my arm.

"I appreciate your concern, but I can assure you that I will run today, and I will beat your time. Then you can get off your high horse and learn to treat people with respect."

Ayumi's senpai snorted, but walked off and I calmed down a little bit.

"Wow, the Senpais in your club are really mean."

"They're always like that, but I'm sick and tired of just taking it. This time, I'll beat her and get her off my case."

And that's what she did. She tied up her hair and went full out. The Senpai who was in the race noticed, because she shoved her fist into the air. I didn't really understand why she did it, until I notice two girls, just meters from the finishing line, pulling at something. I stood up.

Wait, is that fishing line? No freaking way am I letting them trip Ayumi…

I walked nonchalantly towards the two girls, and crouched next to closest one.

"Whatcha doing?" I asked. The girl, who only noticed me now, smiled.

"We're going to trip the girl who's in first place. Second years need to learn their place."

"That's smart," I said in mock admiration, "those second years don't really understand how puny they are at all."

Ayumi was approaching, so I knew I had to act now. They lifted the translucent string a foot above the ground.

"Unfortunately, they're a bit smarter than you think."

I then shoved her as hard as I could, surprising her into letting go of the string. The girl on the other side screamed, but Ayumi passed over the limp string faster than the girl next to me could sit up, so she won easily.

"For Third year students, you're kind of dumb," I noted out loud, before getting up, "I don't really plan on snitching on you, but if I see something like this again, I'll take great pleasure in bringing a teacher right to you."

They seem to have taken my warning to mind, because I didn't see any weird business after that. Still, it was a bit worrying, because they could be doing something out of the eyes of the public. Regardless of whether they were plotting anything or not, Ayumi still got first place in the meet.

I congratulated her and went home. I was feeling a bit sick to my stomach, and it probably had something to do with those disgusting Senpais…


	13. And so, we got a new transfer student

**Ok, I'm really sorry I took so long to get this out. I haven't had a working computer as of late, so I'm probably going to continue like this.**

**Well, Chapter 13 is here now. Please enjoy...**

* * *

On Monday, we got a new transfer student in our class, Elsie Katsuragi… and yep, she's related to that Katsuragi. She's actually his little sister, and she is the cutest thing ever. Otamega didn't look happy to see her at all. No surprise really... 'Unless it's female and 2D, it's not worth looking at' must be his life's philosophy.

The whole class was crowding around her, asking questions, ranging from what club she wanted to join to how could someone as cute as her related to the Otamega. She didn't take insulting her brother very well.

"Just you see… Every girl in the world will be after my brother!"

The class looked blankly at Otamega, who was playing his game like his life depended on it. After feeling a dozen eyes staring at him from behind, he stiffly looked back, trying to glare, but it failed to look threatening because of his pink face.

The class was in stitches for the next few minutes. Heck, I'd pay money to see even one girl go after him. He really was such a dweeb.

Mappy-chan didn't seem that amused by the comment. I wonder if she thought we were being rude.

Nikaido-sensei came in and ruined the fun. On the other hand, I still got lucky, because there was a free seat on my left and Otamega's sister got to sit next to me.

"Your name is Elsie, right?" I asked. She nodded. I couldn't really think of what to say, but I noticed a broom leaning by the side of her desk. Now that I think about it, it's weird that no one mentioned it at all. Was she holding that the whole time?

"I'm Chihiro. Pleased to meet you. By the way, why do you have a broom with you?"

"It's a keepsake of mines. It just doesn't feel right to not have it with me."

"I see… That's a relief. At least you're not a witch or anything."

"I'm not a demon or witch or any other magical being, because they don't exist in the real world," she said hastily. That was just too suspicious for words. I wasn't even accusing her or anything, so now I'm just confused.

Class continued as usual. Otamega got a chalk duster thrown at his head (serves him right) for playing games in class. I frowned… this brought back horrible memories from last week. Still, I didn't have to tell him, because his Sister now get's the honours of doing that. Even if Elsie wasn't here, I sure as hell wouldn't do that again. It took me the whole weekend to get over that stupid mistake of mines.

Well, at least it's over and no one was hurt… well, I still have a band-aid on my head, but my fringe is doing such a good job that you can barely see it.

Come to think of it, the amount of times that idiot has been hit by books, hands and dusters has been way more than I can count on all my digits, and I've only been in this class for a month. Man, he sure is troublesome.

After school, I went to go get a meat bun with Mappy-chan before going to visit the gym. Shinji wasn't around, so I just watched the rest of them play. I was kind of bored. Maybe I should go see if some other clubs have cute guys…

When I got home, Chitose was waiting in my room for some odd reason. He was looking at the posters on my wall.

"Nee-chan, do you notice that the poster is wrong?"

I looked at it, reading out loud.

"Stay c-clam and carry"

"Yeah, the correct phrase is 'Stay calm and carry on'. Didn't you notice it when you bought it?"

Ugh, that's the last time I get cheap stuff from a China Mall. Honestly, I haven't paid attention to that poster at all. I only noticed it now that he mentioned it.

"Eh, the creators were probably trying to avoid a lawsuit or something, or they think the consumers don't know enough English to tell the difference. Either way, I don't really care, because it goes with my bed sheet. So why are you actually here?"

"Uh, yeah," he looked around distractedly, "you remember that Otoshigami guy, right?"

God, he's going to mention that trip to Narusawa, isn't he? I was instantly cautious.

"I remember. What about him?" I replied shortly.

"I kinda lost his email address and now I have a question for him. You seemed to recognise him at that shop. Do you know him?"

There was absolutely no reason to tell the truth, yet I did it anyway. What the hell is wrong with me?

"Yeah, he's in my class. What of it?"

"Can you ask him for his email again?" He asked in a small but almost pleading voice. I had my answer without even thinking about it.

"No way! Otamega is the type of guy you don't want to talk to at all," a cheeky smile appeared on his face.

"Then why do you have a crush on him if you can't stand him?"

"I don't have a crush on him, you idiot!" I could feel my blood boiling under my skin.

"Whatever you say…" he smirked, "Either way, I still need that email address. Please can you get it for me?"

"My previous answer still stands," I lounged back on the bed, opening my phone. suddenly, he appeared from nowhere and grabbed my phone out of my hands. In plain sight, he pulled up Ayumi's name out of my contacts, as if threatening to call her. Fear clenched my heart for a second.

"Ugh, I haven't got the energy for this. I'll get you that email address if you leave..." he smiled and handed the phone back, "and lend me your PFP for a bit, will you." I haven't played 'Baker's from Heaven' in ages.

Eh, why did I get so nervous at that? It's not like he has anything to blackmail me with anyway. What did I even agree to now? Man, I'm an idiot. Now I will actually have to talk to that guy.

He left and returned with aforementioned PFP.

"Thanks, Nee-chan. This might be a good thing for you. Maybe you can get his phone number as well…"

"Yeah yeah… Now leave."

He left, closing the door behind him, before abruptly stopping.

"If you keep acting so tsundere, there's no way he'll like you back."

The door shut before the pillow I threw could hit his face.

"Idiot," I muttered.

For a few moments, I just lay there, listening to Chitose's footsteps disappear into his room. After digging in my bedside drawer for a bit, I found the game.

I slotted the cartridge into the back and turned it on. It took pretty long for the menu to load, but when it did, I turned off the PFP, completely pissed.

I really liked this game. The drama wasn't overdone and the characters were cute and I had so much choice, but there was one huge issue with it… IT KEEPS REMINDING ME OF FREAKIN' OTAMEGA!

His games are slightly different, but they followed the same route. Meet girl… fall in love with girl… date girl… live happily ever after… I'd seen enough from Chitose to see how they work.

I don't want to be connected like that to freakin' Otamega! He's just a stupid nerd who I have absolutely nothing in common with who will probably cause me to spontaneously combust one of these days, because I can't make up my mind how I feel about him.

No… Obviously I despise his guts… I decided that on Friday and It'll stay that way forever…

Ugh, where's the Brain Bleach when you need it.

Still, I took the next best thing: this week's Chauchau.

Ooh, Kanon-sama has been nominated for the Music Newcomers award. That's good for her.

Damn, I sound bitter… What the hell is wrong with me? I think I need something even more brainless than a magazine… Where's my old diary? I should see what my idiot childhood self is doing.

It was lying on my desk, so I opened it back to where I had left it.

_Dear Diary_

_Today, Ayumi got me to try Lamson's steamed bun. It was yummy. I hope I can eat some more tomorrow._

After which was a drawing of a steamed bun with sizzling lines coming off the top. It's funny… Even now, I still draw my meat buns the same way. Basically a circle with two or three bumps on top.

_I decided that one day, I'll beat Ayumi in a race. She's always so fast, but I'm sure I can be faster if I try. Ayumi said that if I beat her, she'll buy me a meat bun, so now I have to._

I couldn't help it. I laughed at how simple I was as a child. Just a steamed bun which costing 50 yen was enough to motivate me to beat Ayumi. To my knowledge, I don't think I ever won, but at least I tried my hardest… maybe. I don't really remember anymore…

I rolled over, mistakenly kicking the diary to the floor. I dunno… I'm definitely a different person from that girl in the diary, but I know what route it took me to get to where I am now. After years of constantly reminding myself, and being reminded by others, that I was never really good at anything, I reached the point of not caring anymore. It's horrible to say, but I'm pretty sure that my child self would be disappointed if she could ever meet me.

Despite that, I don't hate myself now. I have a couple of good friends and my grades are decent. I think I'm fine like that. I grabbed my magazine from the edge of my bed.

So as I had read earlier, Kanon-sama won the Music Newcomer's award because of her song 'All 4 U'. When I turned the TV on, they were playing it, and it was really good. It was so catchy that I could probably listen to it forever.

* * *

**And so, the Chihiro fans rejoiced!**

**Hehe, you know what I'm talking about...**

**I won't say any more and spoil stuff for the anime only readers, but I'm liking how this manga is going. They better not screw this up next week, because this'll have to come into my story.**


	14. And so, I read a note

**It's been a while, hey. Honestly, I swear I just end up rewriting these chapters, instead of editing, because so much has changed, both within my story and within my head. I guess there's no helping it...**

**Kay, here's chapter 14, and Chihiro's first spoken lines in canon. Hip hip hooray!**

**Though it's crazy... It took 14 chapters to officially start. I think if I was to cover the whole of canon, I'd probably get close to 100 chapters. Still, I'll aim big.**

**Chihiro is worth the effort.**

* * *

_When I looked up at the sky, it was drizzling lightly… It wasn't hard enough to make me cold or wet, but I know the moisture would cause my fringe to fluff up annoyingly._

_I didn't seem to be holding my bag, so I couldn't shade myself, but I didn't have to, because the school building was right there, just a few feet away._

My eyes snapped open, and I was looking face to face to a tilted glass of water. I naturally raised my arm to stop my head from getting wet.

"What the hell, Chitose?" I sat up and glared at my brother, who straightened the glass and stepped away. Even still, a few drops did trickle down my face, so I had woken a little late.

"Don't get mad at me, Nee-chan," he smirked, "Okaa-san told me to wake you up, and you didn't respond to my calls." Even though he said that with a really innocent voice, the smile on his face… most likely, he didn't even try waking me up before he brought the water. Besides, I'm not a heavy sleeper, and I only slept at 11 last night. There's no way I wouldn't have woken up without an alarm…

I glanced at my phone and nearly fell out of bed. Because of my stupid non-ringing alarm, I only have five minutes before I had to leave, unless I wanted to be late.

Despite my concern, I still somehow got dressed, and left the house before it was too late, but I could tell that I was running late, because the crowd was pretty small.

"Chihiro-saaaan!" I turned around, and Elsie Katsuragi was behind me, her broom trailing behind her. Hehe… so we're both running late today…

"Morning, Elsie-san," I replied, though that just felt weird on my tongue.

"Good Morning, Chihiro-san," she slowed down when she was in step with me, "did you do the English homework from yesterday?" Oh crap… I didn't do it… Eh, I've never been up to date for school anyways, so I can't say I care much. Still, the look on Kodama's face… Egh, I should try sneaking that in during first period. While I was making plans, I noticed Elsie-san was still talking.

"So Kami-nii-sama went off this morning without waiting for me. He wouldn't even help me with English yesterday, so I know everything is wrong now," she looked like she was nearly in tears, which made me want to curse at Otamega. No one should make a cutie like her cry.

"Trust Otamega to be mean to you, and It's only your first day here. I'd help you myself, but I'm not that good at English," I sighed… At least that excuse is better than telling her I didn't even open our English workbook last night. Still, she was touched by my words, because she gave me a quick hug.

"Thank you for caring, Chihiro-san. Though It's Kami-nii-sama who should help me. I'll ask him at lunch," She went to her seat, and I went to mine, kind of bemused. She really is adorable… I could just take her home… except that sounds too creepy for words. Though why does she call Otamega 'Kami-nii-sama'? He's barely acted like an older brother… why would he need God in his name as well?

Eh I guess it's just one of those things…

When I sat down, Nikaido-sensei came to start first period History… Her words were lulling me to sleep, so I decided to be at least a little productive and do that English homework Elsie-san was telling me about. I propped up my history textbook and pulled out my English book so I could at least try to answer the comprehension we had. Still, the words flew over my head, like it was nonsense... Peesh, school is nonsense... Will I even need to answer an English comprehension in real life?

"So she made a promise to…" I muttered as I wrote.

Suddenly, my own promise from yesterday came back to me. I had to get Otamega's email address for Chitose… Ugh, why did I promise that?

I contemplated how to ask that for a few minutes, when I felt someone touch my arm. Elsie-san was holding a folded note and pointing at her annoying brother. I looked at it for a moment, wondering what any girl in the world would possibly have to say to that hopeless dweeb, even if she is his sister.

"Kosaka, continue reading," Nikaido-sensei called. I had no cooking clue what line, or even what page, I had to read from, so I did the next best thing. I slipped open the note and stood up.

"To my dear brother and Divine One," I peeked at Otamega, who had been leaning on one arm, when he nearly slipped. I knew this was totally mean, but it was still a bit funny. The rest of the class started looking at me as well, so I continued.

"I, Elsie, am so happy we can live together now," I kind of rolled my eyes at that… Who would want to live with Otamega? I wasn't really sure what I expected from that letter, but it's more boring than I expected. Well, there is a bit more…

"On that note, can we talk during lunch today? P.S. Please forget about what happened in the bath. It was embarrassing."

I smiled inwardly… Just the gold I was looking for. By this point, Otamega was so embarrassed that I swear he was trying to be absorbed into his desk. Elsie-san wasn't much better either.

"Why are you reading it out loud?" Elsie squeaked out from under her desk. I felt a twinge of remorse for scaring her like that, but my amusement topped it all.

"Why not? You wanted him to know, didn't you?" I looked over at Otamega, who had his head on his desk. He was so disturbed he wasn't even pressing his PFP buttons anymore. An even more evil question flitted to my brain.

"So what happened in the bath?" I smirked.

The boys in the class repeated the question over and over again, with their heads forming a pyramid. How they did that so quickly and perfectly in synch, I guess I'll never know. Probably the perverted parts in their brain are calling to each other.

I nearly snickered as I imagined these little perverted monsters in their brains standing up to attention and screaming through microphones.

Nakaido-sensei plucked out the note from my hands.

"Everyone, sit down. Kosaka, that's a detention for you after school for invading other student's privacy and not paying attention, and Katsuragi-imouto, you have to do lines at break for writing notes in class. And if I see anyone mentioning that letter again, I will shove it down your throat."

Just from being in her class for a month, no one doubted her… She's really scary when she's mad.

Still, at lunch, the topic of the letter came up anyway. I was sitting with Ayumi and Miyako, when Ayumi brought it up.

"So do you care what happened with Katsuragi in the bath?" Ayumi casually sipped her juice box. I nearly choked on my Yakisoba bread.

"D-does it really matter?" I swallowed down some juice, and Miyako hit my back to stop me from choking.

"You tell me… You're the one who asked, after all?" she smiled cheekily.

"Eeh, I thought it would be funny to ask. I wasn't curious or anything…" I half-lied… Truth is, I was kind of wondering. No one ever has anything to say to him, is all… I pulled up my juice box, and realized it was empty. Had I really drank all that? I was still thirsty, so I got up.

"Yeah, I'm going to get some more juice. I'll be back," the two of them shrugged, so I left. I met Mappy-chan outside the juice machine, incidentally.

"Nee, Chiho-chan…"

"What's up?"

"I was wondering…" I held my breath… hoping if this wasn't another comment about the letter. So I was curious… Big deal…

"Are you planning on confessing to Shinji-kun?" I felt both relieved, yet I knew that this could quite easily become another awkward conversation.

"Umm… I probably won't… I doubt he likes me anyway, so I don't want to embarrass myself," she seemed a bit disappointed in my answer.

"Can I maybe come with you next time you go watch their practice? I think he might like you back, so I'll just try to confirm then."

"Why not? And if you get bored, there are other cute guys to watch."

So we made that plan… Still, not today… Today, I have detention… And I still didn't get Otamega's email address…

For the rest of the day, minus the few conversations I had, I was pretty bored… I wonder if my life has always felt this boring…

* * *

**So I guess it's really over now... After 268 chapters, we finally reached the happy ending.**

**I was definitely satisfied with this ending, for obvious reasons, but my heart still goes out to Tenri and all her fans. I don't really want her to have another shot with Keima, but I hope she finds her happiness. She deserves that much at least.**

**Though if anyone wants to discuss the new chapter, or anything else TWGOK related, feel free to send me a P.M. I'll definitely answer. **


	15. And so, I didn't see a flying fish

**Hey guys! I know it's early for once, but the reviews have been fueling me on.**

**So here it is. Chapter 15**.

* * *

After a really bad night where I kept rolling over every couple of minutes, I decided to apologize to Elsie-san about reading her letter out loud in class. I didn't really regret it, as it had amused me a bit, but I did feel a bit guilty… well, maybe a bit more than a little guilty, and it took 100 lines of "I will not read other people's notes because I was not paying attention" to get there. My fingers were really stiff after all those lines, but I guess that's karma.

Anyway, a good person would apologize for embarrassing her classmate in front of everyone just for a few laughs, right? Even though I don't consider myself a good person, seeing that I'd totally invaded her privacy and all, but it was still gnawing at my conscience. Apologizing seemed like the right thing to do.

Of course, I stupidly missed my chance, because she and her stupid brother ran off somewhere together at the start of lunch. I really didn't feel like stalking them, nor did I really want to speak with Otamega, so I procrastinated my apology until after school.

Still, Elsie-san and Otamega disappeared together after the last bell rang, but I wouldn't let this continue any longer. I was feeling guilty enough as it is, and I didn't want another sleepless night, so I followed them, hoping that Otamega would just go away so I could talk to Elsie-san. Luckily, that chance came quite soon, because Otamega left her by the entrance of the gate.

"Nee… Elsie-san," I spoke, walking to her. She smiled at me, and I felt bad, because even though she has perfectly good reason to dislike me, she can still give me that brighter-than-the-sun smile she always has.

"Chihiro-san… What brings you here?" I looked at my shoes.

"I-I wanted to apologize… about the letter yesterday…" my voice was weirdly small.

"Uhh… Look Chihiro-san! There's a flying fish over there!" Her hand flew into my peripheral vision, and I turned… A flying fish? Where!?

Of course, there wasn't a flying fish anywhere, and Elsie-san wasn't next to me when I turned back… I guess she really was angry…

"Don't worry about it, Chihiro-san" Elsie appeared on my other side, causing me to jump, "you don't have to apologize," I turned to where she was. She still had that happy smile, but it looked like she was strangling an invisible snake or something. Where did she even disappear to, because she definitely wasn't there 3 seconds ago?

"Err… Still, I felt bad about that. I am really sorry…" she tugged at her invisible snake, "can we maybe start over and be friends?"

"That'd be great," she sent another heartbreakingly cute smile my way, which made me just want to wrap my arms around her and take her home.

"Awesome… So please take care of me, Elsie-san," I bowed slightly. Still, I didn't like that name… Even if her nickname is Elsie, it just doesn't come smoothly on my tongue. Her actual name is Elucia, so…

"Actually, can I call you Ellie?"

"If that's easier for you, then why not?" To commemorate our new friendship, she gave me a warm hug. Even still, I could see she was looking around distractedly.

"Well then, Ellie, you look a bit busy, so I'll be off then," I gave her a grateful smile. She nodded and walked off, to what appeared to be a mangled person.

I rubbed my sleep deprived eyes, but even after that, there was definitely a person lying on the floor, possibly . Was that Otamega? The wreck somehow got up, and I was right… Otamega was once again on the receiving end of someone's attack. What did that idiot do this time? Eh, though I really didn't care enough...

I rolled my eyes and walked to the gym, where I had told Mappy-chan to wait for me. Sure enough, she was in there, chatting with Shinji-kun. When they saw me, the both waved me over.

"So Matsumiya-chan was telling me about your problem," I shot a warning glare at Mappy-chan, but she just laughed. What the hell did she tell him?

"Yeah, I told him that there was a guy you liked, so you were hoping to get some advice from him," she assured me. I felt my heart calming down after a moment. I guess she didn't take the stupid direct approach, like what I was worried about.

I laughed awkwardly…

"Yeah, I was hoping you'd help me, seeing that you've got a brain of a guy…" I had to pull my hand away from my head to stop me from playing with the tips of my hair.

"I can try, but each guy is different, so I don't know if I'll be of much help," he ran his fingers through his hair, "so what kind of guy caught your fancy, Chihiro-chan?" his eyes flashed, though in a friendly, teasing kind of way. I felt a slight rush of heat go up my cheeks. So what am I supposed to tell him now?

"Err… He's kinda like you… I guess…" As I was twiddling my thumbs, I noticed one of them was chipping on the side, so I kept scratching it, which only made the situation worse.

"Like me, huh… Like personality wise, or is he also in this club as well?"

Yeah… this was a bad idea... I don't even know if I like him, so why am I even asking stupid questions like this?

"That doesn't matter… Though would you say guys like getting presents when they're getting confessed to?" Mappy-chan intervened. Probably a good thing, because I felt just about ready to bolt. I finally looked over my hands to Mappy-chan, and she smiled reassuringly. Still, this whole situation feels so stupid.

I only agreed to get Mappy-chan off my back, but the way it's going, I will probably end up confessing to Shinji-kun about feelings I don't even have. This just sounds like a bad drama series waiting to happen… Nah! My life is way too boring to even be considered a bad drama series.

Still, I watched bemused as Mappy-chan and Shinji-kun discussed… something. I watched their mouths move, but I was way too nervous to listen to it all.

Luckily, The basketball coach started the practice, so the awkward conversation which I hadn't been paying attention to ended. Unluckily, Mappy-chan realized she was running late for her own club, so she left me alone.

It was weird though… for the first time, I was actually starting to feel really nervous and out of place here. There were just so many guys who were doing drills and stretches, and I was just watching, uninterested. I knew the rules of this game and all, thanks to some previous conversations with Shinji-kun, but I really didn't feel up to watching this today.

Eh, I'm just gonna be a nerd and go do some homework in the library. That was probably one of the better decisions I made today, because as soon as I left the gym, I felt this immense relief. Eh, I'll explain to Shinji-kun where I had gone later, but right now, let's do some homework… by that, I mean turn on 'Love Kanon' and dance internally for the rest of the afternoon.

So that's what I did… A little bit of homework, and a lot of internal singing. Still, I enjoyed it a lot. Kanon-sama sings some really catchy songs, and even if it isn't conducive for productive studying, it make's one hell of a fun homework session.

Still, despite me removing my headphones as soon as I left the school, I still had that song stuck in my head for part of the walk home.

Weirdly enough, I met up with Chitose on the way home. It's just really rare, considering I usually come home earlier than he does.

"Chitose," I greeted as I walked next to him. I think I've become way too predictable, because he stepped to the side, so I couldn't ruffle his hair like I'd been planning.

"Meanie…" I grumbled. He heard and started laughing.

"Nice try… That just would have worked way better if you hadn't called me," he shrugged. He was right though… A sneak attack is useless if it isn't sneaky.

"So Nee-chan… Did you get the Otoshigami guy's email address yet?" I blanched, because I totally forgot about that today. Luckily, I realized I didn't have to worry about it now, seeing that I had a friend who's close to him.

"Sorry… Though I'll definitely get it tomorrow…" he groaned.

"Come on, Nee-chan! It's just an email address… It's not like I asked you to confess your undying love for him or anything!"

"Wh-why don't you get it then, if you're so impatient?" I glared at him hard, but a weird jolt ran through my body. Eh, I know it's Spring, but isn't it a bit hot today?

"You're the one in his class, you know!?" he retorted back, "but fine, I guess it can wait till tomorrow. I don't like being at a standstill in my game…" he looked up over the soccer ball he was rolling around in his hands before chuckling, "hehe, your face is pink…"

"No..." I corrected, "your face is pink… once I punch it in…" I raised my fist threateningly.

"Ooohh… scary…" he rolled his eyes and walked away from me.

"Besides… you're dead wrong. I already have a guy I like, and it's definitely not that loser, Otamega."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that…" he looked at me with a very bored expression.

I scowled at him… Just you wait, Chitose! I'll get a boyfriend, and it definitely won't be that game-playing weirdo you idealise…

* * *

**Wahahahaha! What do you know, Chihiro?**

**Anyhoo, thank you guys so much for how much support you've been giving me. Even though I write because I actually enjoy writing, getting reviews and follows really makes me want to write more.**

**Oh yes, I apologize for the random grammatical errors. Unfortunately, my sister, who usually proofreads my stories isn't really following this one, and even though I try, I still miss a couple.**

**And yes, I am quite a big fan of Kagepro, Suishou no Sekai-san. If you wanna talk about it, feel free to leave me a P.M. I do always try to reply as fast as possible.**

**As for the other question about Mekakucity Actors, Kana Asumi, who voices Chihiro, is voicing Ene-chan, the super adorable, if not slightly sardonic, cyber girl that lives in Shintaro's computer... Weird, huh? They sound almost nothing alike.**

**Still, I'm so amped for the Mekakucity Actors anime. I know Shaft can be quite strange, but I think that the whole concept that is Kagepro just seems up their alley. So far, they haven't disappointed me...**

**Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure I joined the Kagepro fandom because I heard that Chihiro and Takane had similar heartwrenching stories, so I couldn't resist.**

**Sorry for going on a tangent like that. I guess I was just happy that I wasn't the only other Kagepro fan here.**

**Well, after one horribly long Author's note, I'll be off!**

**Please follow or review or set this story on fire... whatever you want, really...**

**Ja ne!**


	16. And so, I got his email

**Hehe, I'm back again. Thanks so much for the reviews, you guys. Nothing motivates me quite like reviews do.**

**Still, I realised something weird. My writing style has kind of changed compared to when I first wrote this story. In fact, it's reached the point where I can't even use the other chapters as foundation anymore.**

**That's why it's taking a bit longer to update nowadays, just because I end up rewriting the entire chapter.**

**I don't mind though. I feel like my insight into this whole story has gotten better.**

**So, on to Chapter 16**

* * *

I was sitting at my desk, listening to Kanon's new single 'All 4 U' and reading a magazine, when I felt someone tap my on my shoulder. I looked up.

"Good Morning, Chihiro-san!" Ellie greeted me cheerfully as she put her bag down. I pulled out one of side of my headphones and greeted back. Man, why can't I be as cute and energetic as she is?

"So what are you listening to, Chihiro-san?" she pointed at my phone. I pulled out the other side and paused the song so I could reply to her properly.

"It's Kanon-sama's new single. Do you want to hear it?" I offered her one of the sides. She took it, but she just looked curiously at it for a few seconds. Has she never used earphones before or something?

"You're supposed to put those in your ear if you want to hear it," I clarified. She blushed but put the squishy plastic in her ear. I restarted the song.

At first, she looked fascinated that sound was actually flowing through the wire, but soon, she was bobbing her head to the music. When it was done, she pulled out the earpiece and stared at it.

"I didn't know that humans had boxes like yours which can play music," she followed the wire all the way to my phone with her eyes, "but that singing was really nice."

"Hehe… That's Kanon-sama for you. All her songs are like this," I took the headphones back and Ellie sat down, "So is this the first time you've heard any of her songs?"

"Yes… I had no clue that technology on earth was so advanced that you could listen to music without a radio," she marvelled. Where has this girl been living all her life?

"Well, technology is pretty much like that. Phones have gotten more advanced these last couple of years," her head cocked to the side.

"Phone…" she said it like it was a foreign word… Wait… could it be that she's never used a phone before? I can't imagine a time when I didn't have a phone, that I felt a surge of pity for her. I have no clue what I'd do without a phone, and this poor girl hasn't had one her entire life…

"You don't have a phone, do you?" my voice was sombre.

"Well, Okaa-sama gave me this yesterday," she pulled a clamshell phone out of her bag, "but I have no clue what it does. Is this a phone?"

"Yeah, that's a phone. Can I see it for a second?" She handed it over, so I quickly turned it on. Surprisingly, it was fully charged, so it actually did turn on. I scooted my chair over to her desk, so we could both see the screen, before explaining some of the functions.

As I was going through the menu, I realised that even though this was a completely new phone, someone had gone in and put in the family contacts already… Even Otamega's number was in here…

Finally, that freakin' email address!

"Nee… Ellie, can I put my email and number in here as well?" I said, but I could hear that my voice sounded strained. When I got her permission, I pulled both phones to me so she couldn't see the screen properly and quickly sent my details via inflared.I sent Otamega's to my phone the same way. With any luck, she didn't notice that last one. Explaining why I did that… it wouldn't be fun, to say in the least.

"A-are you okay, Chihiro-san? You look a bit red…" Ellie asked. And then came the urge to whack my head hard against the desk again. Ugh, why does this keep happening? I only got to remove that stupid bandaid on my head this morning, dammit! Give me a break already!

"I'm fine," I tried to reply calmly as I quickly, and hopefully subtly, shut my phone, "anyway, my details are in your phone now, so if you want, you can send me a message if you need anything," with that, I passed her back her phone.

I stood behind her desk for a few moments, as she played around with her newly acquired phone. Funnily enough, the concept of calling didn't excite her as much as the snake game did. She's pretty weird, though in a good way.

When class started, and Ellie reluctantly put her phone away, while me, being the rebel I am, pulled out my phone under my desk, looking at my newly acquired contact.

"Keima Katsuragi," I muttered out loud. I felt the back of my neck prickle… No surprise though, because he always gives me a bad feeling. I changed the name to Otamega, and weirdly enough, I felt better… I guess it grossed me out less.

I opened the contact, and sure enough, there was an email address as well. Shweet! No more worrying about that anymore.

Yeah, as soon as I get home, I'll send this to Chitose then delete it off my phone. After all, I have no need for his number or email myself. It's not like I'd send messages to the guy I despise, anyway.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated. It was an email from Ayumi.

"Stop playing with your phone! Nikaido's looking at you," I looked up, and Ayumi was right… Crap…

"Now that Kosaka has decided to join us, let's begin homeroom," I blushed and put my phone away. Eh, what's the big deal, anyway? At school, everyone uses their phones. No need to single me out, woman…

At lunch, me and Mappy-chan were discussing what happened at the gym yesterday. She also filled me in on what I had missed in my little period of inattention. For some reason, I was just more enthused by this conversation today…

Basically, from what I heard now, guys like presents, but nothing homemade, because it's too much effort and if he rejects you, it's a waste. Also, you don't have to say anything more than a simple 'I like you'. If you really have more to say, put it in a letter, and if he accepts the confession, you can give it to him. It's pretty simple, actually.

After that, we went on a tangent about Kanon, which Ellie ended up joining in. Apparently today's the first time she's heard her, but I'm pretty sure we've converted her into a full-blown fan. That's pretty cool, I guess.

Mappy-chan brought out a magazine even, which had some facts about Kanon which she showed to Ellie. I ended up reading along as well, because I don't usually buy that magazine, so I didn't know half these facts.

Like I didn't know that Kanon is 9 months younger than me, yet she's an idol and still passing school well enough to be in my grade. It kinda reminds me of what a loser I am.

Kanon has basically got half of Japan as her fans at the age of sixteen because she has an awesome voice and can dance and act cute. And if her career wasn't exhausting enough, she still passes school. In the magazine, it says that she only sleeps three hours a day, because she's so busy.

Me, on the other hand… I'm seventeen, and have basically done nothing so far, other than survive. My grades aren't the worst, but I still get sat down by my mother after my report comes. I'm not really good at sports either. I guess I'm a straight C student, but that isn't really something to be proud of.

Eh, at least I'm not a problem child like that Otamega idiot… Overall, even though I don't have much going for me, I'm usually a decent and polite person. I'm not changing the world like Kanon-sama has, but it's alright. There are plenty of years for me to try harder later on.

After all, we can't all be winners. Someone has to stay and clap them on.

As I was dwelling, the conversation had switched elsewhere, and somehow, Mappy-chan had Ellie backed into a corner. How did that even happen so fast?

"So is it true that your brother likes Aoyama-san?" Mappy-chan asked, although the way she was leaning over Ellie's desk just made more of an interrogation than a question. I could almost feel the disbelief on my face. What the hell kind of question is that?

"I… I don't think so… Kami-nii-sama only likes his games," poor Ellie stuttered out. I could see her sinking under her desk, like how she'd done two days ago when I'd read that letter. Mappy-chan didn't notice though, but at least she stepped away from the desk.

"That's weird... Because on the way to school today, I swear I saw a bicycle-drawn carriage with her in it being driven by him…" She started laughing, probably at how little sense that whole situation made, "Oh well, I guess I saw wrong then…"

"Yeah, there's no way that that idiot gamer has legs strong enough to hold anything more than his body weight," I laughed as well, "though can we talk about something else? You're scaring Ellie," I indicated at the girl, who was still cowering at her desk. She dropped the subject when she finally noticed Ellie.

Well, not that it mattered. Lunch break ended around then anyway.

For the rest of the day, I didn't feel at ease at all. I wonder if this whole Kanon thing is bugging me more than my brain lets on…

After school, me and Mappy-chan went to the gym again. Luckily, today, she didn't have club activities at all.

"Though I never did ask… What club are you in, Mappy-chan?" I asked on the walk there.

"Oh… I'm in the Judo club," she replied, "during middle school, weird stuff kept happening in my town, so I figured I may as well learn to defend myself if I never need it."

"What kind of town did you live in exactly? I mean, that you have to learn to protect yourself and all…"

"Hmm, it's like one of those towns in a shonen manga. "

I wondered about that… Don't shonen mangas have monsters and bad guys everywhere? I haven't really read manga in ages, so maybe I'm misunderstanding stuff… There's no way weird phenomenon exist around here anyway.

"So do you read a lot of manga then?" We stepped through the doors of the gym, and a weird chill went through my back. I guess as soon as we see Shinji-kun, we get back to that confession conversation.

"I dabble, mostly…" she ended off, because Shinji-kun was coming towards us with his basketball. His light hair flopped adorably as he ran to us.

"Hi Hiroko-chan… Chihiro-chan… Sorry, I can't help you guys today. We're playing a match in an hour, so the coach wants to have a pep-talk before we go."

"Yeah, you mentioned that yesterday…" Mappy-chan mumbled as Shinji-kun went back.

"I can't remember that. Did he say it while I was a bit distracted?"

"It was after practice…" Oh, so I wasn't there. I disappeared to go do homework. I twirled my fringe slightly, feeling a bit guilty.

"Yeah… Sorry about that. I ended up going home. I hope it wasn't too awkward for you," she scratched her neck and laughed lightly.

"Don't worry about it… We didn't really discuss much anyway…"

"I see…"

"Don't get me wrong though… Shinji-kun is a really nice guy. You've definitely got my blessing," we decided to leave then. I don't know if I'm just being weird, but it felt like he wanted to say more. She didn't though, so I'm probably wrong about that.

I still hadn't finished that homework from yesterday, so I went to the library, where the temptation that is television and magazines wasn't around.

Eh, this can't be too bad. At least this homework isn't trigonometry… It's circle geometry, which for some other people, is even worse. Luckily, I like shapes, so it doesn't bug me.

As I was going through the problems, there was a dual-circle example, and it kinda looked like a pair of glasses.

Hmm, who is Aoyama-san? I forgot to ask Mappy-chan about that… Not that it actually matters.

I don't care…

Still, I feel like tearing my hair out and the librarian on duty is giving me weird looks. Something is definitely wrong with my head nowadays.

* * *

**Hehe, Chihiro got his email address now. Well, I'm not sure how that phone transfer thing really works, other than what I saw in Hagenai, but I'm pretty sure that people transfer contact details through infrared, so it would make sense that Chihiro could transfer it easily, as long as she knows how the phone works.**

**I know it's never covered so much in canon that Elsie isn't knowledgeable abut the world, but I kinda imagine her looking at a phone blankly, wondering how it works. **

**I know currently, this is moving quite slowly, but soon enough, we'll get to Chihiro confessing. With any luck, I'm hoping it's within the next two chapters.**

**With that, I kinda imagine this story being more than thirty chapters long, because I'm moving more slowly than when I originally wrote this out. Eh, what can you do?**

**Anyhoo, I really do love Chihiro, so her being endgame has really boosted my interest, and by the looks of it, you guys as well. Long Live Chihiro!**

**I hope you enjoyed reading... I'll be back...**


	17. And so, I ate half a sandwich

**Whoop whoop! I'm back again with Chapter 17.**

**This one... It's weird. This is the closest I've gotten to having a filler chapter, because Shinji doesn't even appear in this chapter. Basically, this is class time.**

**Also, Chihiro hasn't talked with Keima for quite a bit, so of course, I wanted at least one fight between them today.**

**So enjoy then... I know I enjoyed writing this.**

* * *

At school, rumours were flying around like chunks of cake in a food fight. And most of them were based around one person… That guy…

Yesterday when I had heard it, I was sure Mappy-chan just saw it wrong, but apparently it's true. Mio Aoyama has a new chauffeur, and it's Otamega. He has a carriage attached to his bike and all. Unfortunately today, I ended up coming early, so I didn't get to see this first hand.

Still, I can't imagine this being true. There's no way Otamega's chicken legs can cycle all the way to school with a carriage behind him. Still, it wasn't only Mappy-chan who saw that, so who knows. It's probably true. Miracles can happen, and pigs can fly, if you throw them on a trampoline.

"Chihiro-saaan, good mooorning!" Ellie greeted me happily. Eh, how I would kill to be that cheery at eight in the morning.

"Morning, Ellie," I looked up from this week's issue of 'Girls Walker', "Did you see Kanon-sama on TV last night?" Her face fell.

"I didn't know she was on TV!" tears started welling up in her eyes from the missed opportunity, so I patted her head to assure her it was fine. Usually, there are reruns… like a lot of them… trust me, I know.

"Don't worry about it… They'll show that interview again on Friday night…" she seemed to cheer up at that, so I turned back to my magazine, "so what were you watching last night?"

"Anime!" she said happily, and I stopped midway through flipping a page, "it's more fun than I expected, because He… the place I lived before never showed it on TV," for a second, I just tried to remember when I last watched anime… In middle school, maybe?

"I don't really see anime, but was it any good?"

"Yeah, it was really relaxing. If you ever decide to watch it, it's called Tamayura…" after that, she went into a plot explanation, and I went into a daze. Anime really doesn't interest me at all anymore.

"Come to think of it, one of the characters sounded a lot like you, Chihiro-san," I put down my magazine.

"Hmm, is that so…" I leaned back in my chair… "Was she as cool as me?" I think my words flew over her, because her head just cocked to the side. Well, not that it really mattered. Homeroom started anyway.

Nikaido-sensei keeps staring at me, like I'm going to whip out a phone and start taking selfies right here. Go bug someone else, woman!

Once first period maths started, I started tuning out on Takahashi-sensei's lesson. I decided that it'd be way more fun to watch the rest of my friends. Mappy-chan and Miyako were diligently taking notes. Ayumi was catching up on sleep at her desk. Eh, what's new there...

Ellie was trying to take notes, but for some reason, sparks kept coming out of the edge of her pen. I wanted to tell her to stop pressing so hard, or there'd be a fire hazard in class, but somehow, my telepathy skills worked in this pin-drop silence, and she decided rather to use a pencil. Much better… At least the sparks stopped.

For a few moments, I wondered where Ellie could have possibly been in the past. It seems like anything that's around here gives her trouble, or plain fascinates her. I know technology is different overseas, but how can it be that different that she has no clue how things work here? I might ask about it, but I'm guessing it would be a sensitive topic. Most people don't like talking about their pasts.

I sighed and pulled out my mechanical pencil, pressing the top till the lead came out completely. After that, I put the lead back in and repeated the process…

I'm bored…

My eyes started drifting to the side, to where Otamega was drooling over his PFP, and I rolled my eyes.

Yep, he's being gross, as usual.

Still, he was in a really good position today. If I leaned down on my right arm a lot, I could actually see his screen. The writing was a bit small, but I could see that the girl on the screen was dressed as a ninja.

So there are two probable scenarios: A) She comes to kill you and you fall in love with her or B) She's here to protect you and you fall in love with her. Either way, there's love. I'm surprised he doesn't get bored of that.

If someone wants to make an exciting dating sim, they should have one without any romance whatsoever. That way, all the dweebs playing it will spend eternity trying to romance a girl who doesn't even have romance written in her code. I smiled at that thought, imagining Otamega playing every single route trying to find some romance, but there wouldn't be any…

Mwahahaha!

"Kosaka, if you think it's so much fun, why don't you answer the question on the board?"

My smile fell. Stupid teachers…

Luckily, in my study session on Monday, I covered this work, so I solved it. Still, after that, I tried to look a little attentive.

Eh, I really am bored…

By lunch, I was so lethargic that I didn't even want to get out of my desk to get some bread. Boredom is really exhausting, after all.

"Ayumi, can you buy me some bread?" I shouted to her as she was leaving with Miyako. She popped her head back through the door.

"Of course… and just for you, I'll get the chilliest bread I can find," she smiled cheekily before stepping out again. I wanted to protest, but I doubt it'd help anyway. Ayumi knows I don't like chilli food. Luckily, she's usually joking when she threatens that.

Ellie seemed weirdly surprised at that exchange.

"Are you and Ayumi-san friends?" she asked.

"Yeah, we've been friends for ages. Have you met her yet?"

"Not yet. Even though everyone introduced themselves to me, I haven't talked to her outside of that."

"In that case, why don't we make friends when she comes back?"

She nodded and pulled out a large bentou from her bag.

"Nee, Chihiro-san, if you could have an anime about you, what would it be about?" she asked, placing the clothed box on her desk.

"Hmm… I guess it'd be an action story… I'd be the hero…" I slouched over the desk, when my eyes fell on Otamega, who was still playing his games… "and Otamega would be the bad guy who I'd get to assassinate in the end," he stopped tapping the buttons, so he probably heard me. Eh, I didn't really care, either way. Somehow, the thought of assassinating Otamega just made me smile.

"You really don't like Kami-nii-sama, do you, Chihiro-san?" she started untying the knots on her bentou.

"Not at all," I shook my head with each word. Honestly, I'd say dislike might be a bit of an understatement.

"Don't open that here, idiot…" another voice came from the front.

I pulled myself off my desk with some effort to see what was going on. Otamega had taken Ellie's bentou and was tying up the checkered fabric. Ellie started tearing up.

"But I got up early to make this, Kami-nii-sama… I even made you one," she pulled out an equally large box out from nowhere. Otamega stood up and grabbed the second box as well, making a beeline to the door.

Not on my watch, you big bully!

I stood up and shut the door in front of him.

"Give Ellie back her lunch, Otamega…" I glared hard, he stopped walking, but he didn't seem bothered by that.

"Sure, I you want the school in a hundred pieces by the end of the day," he looked up over the boxes at me, and I felt myself falter. There's just something really striking about his eyes that I can't look at them.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I looked at the boxes.

"Take this then," he shoved one of the boxes into my hands, and I nearly staggered. How the hell is a box like that so heavy… or this warm… and why is it squirming?

"She cooks food like this at home as well, and it never ends well," I admitted defeat and gave him the box back before stepping to the side. For some reason, that box just gave me the heebie jeebies. I think that's called survival instinct.

I went back to my desk, and Ellie was tearing up next to me. I felt bad that I didn't stop him, but that box… my neck still hasn't stopped prickling after that.

"Nee, Ellie, what was in that box?"

"It was just fish…"

"Just fish?" I raised my eyebrows… Fish doesn't squirm that much, even if it's alive.

"Yes, It's Sluenpy fish… I even caught it so me and Kami-nii-sama could eat it together…" her tears continued, and I felt bad. Though what is Sluenpy fish? I'm not that good at geography, but I swear I haven't heard of a river like that.

"Did you cook it properly? It was shaking quite a lot in there…"

"Of course I did. Those fish are just really stubborn, but it's fine, because it means they'll stay warm the entire day…" Wait, does that mean you eat it while it's alive? That sounds… Ugh, I wanna go puke now.

From that moment, I vowed I would never touch any of Ellie's home-cooked food. I have no clue where she gets those ingredients from, but it sounds scary.

Luckily, by that point, Ayumi had arrived back from her bread route, because I felt a sandwich ricochet off my head and fall onto the desk. It was an Omelette Soba sandwich, which was rare as hell.

"Eeeeh! How did you get this, Ayumi?" I held it up like a trophy.

"It's simple when you're the 'Mai High Unguided Missile'," she shrugged, leaning on my desk. Man, I hope she didn't bulldoze all the students outside the bread stand.

"Wow, that's the first time in ages that they weren't sold out!" I was certain my eyes were sparkling. Still, it was so beautiful. I unwrapped the plastic foil around it.

Still, thanks to me, someone didn't have food now… I broke the sub in half, and handed the bigger side to Ellie.

"Are you sure, Chihiro-san?"

"Sure, it was my fault I didn't stop Otamega in the first place," I shrugged, but honestly, I was going to miss that half. Maybe I'll get some good luck and find one tomorrow.

"Thank you so much, Chihiro-san," she threw her arms around me, which was a bit awkward, considering I was sitting. Still, I accepted it happily. When she let go, I took a bite out of my side.

"Oh yesh, fank yuu, Ayubi," I said through a mouthful of delicious sauce and egg. She rolled her eyes and chastised me for talking with my mouth full.

Once we were all done eating, I introduced Ellie properly to Ayumi. Weirdly enough, Ayumi also liked the nickname I'd chosen. So I guess I'm not the only one who calls her Ellie anymore.

Towards the end of lunch, after Ayumi had gone back to her desk, Ellie decided to ask that anime question to Otamega.

"Simple… it'd be about me jumping between galge," he replied, playing his games again.

"So basically what you're doing now…" I inputted, and he glared back.

"No… I'll become 2D, so then I wouldn't have to deal with annoyances like you here," he humphed and went back to his game.

"Please… As if any girl would want to talk to you, 2D or otherwise…" I pulled a magazine out from my bag.

"Likewise… In fact, if you even appeared in my anime, you wouldn't even need a seiyuu, because it's not like anyone wants to hear your annoying voice anyway," I opened my magazine to the gossip side, because there'd always be pictures of cute celebrities. It would be way more fun to look at than that guy's messy head anyway.

"You know…" I jumped a little when Mappy-chan made a stealth entrance, "those lines would work a lot better if you guys weren't talking to each other right now."

I felt my stomach sink and a wave of heat rise up my face. Luckily, me reading a magazine did help, because I just adjusted it up so my cheeks were blocked. Still, it didn't stop me from trying to use words to save face.

"Eh, it doesn't mean I'm talking to him coz I want to… I just saw an opportunity to insult him and I took it," my voice was a tad higher than usual, but it still sounded casual.

"Yeah, I won't let any crappy real girls insult me without defending myself," I heard from in front of me.

"How about you look in the mirror before saying that, Otamega…"

After that, he didn't reply, so I felt pretty chuffed that I got the last word. Still, I've got a horrible feeling about this conversation…

* * *

**I've never really mentioned it, but it's conversation like these which make me ship Chihiro and Keima. Eh, I lie... Anything conversation Chihiro and Keima have are subjected to my very thick shipping goggles, so I love them all.**

**Except for Chapter 166... The ending was just painful.**

**Like I said, this was a pretty fun chapter to write. Especially the last part. While it turned out differently than compared to what was in my head, the effect is just the same.**

**That being said, I decided to reference some other anime in here, because I'm the author, so I can. Elsie mentions Tamayura, which is one of my favourite slice of life shows, and as I implied, Kana Asumi is also in that show. In fact, of all of her many roles I've heard, that's the closest I've heard to Chihiro's voice. In fact, the reason I watched that show in the first place is because the entire main cast has been in TWGOK at some point, so it's up to you guys whether you wanna check it out. I found it to be a very soothing show.**

**Also, Chihiro assassinating Keima is another reference. If you want to try guessing from where, feel free to throw it in a review, and I'll credit whoever gets it right in the next chapter, as well as the answer, if no one got it.**

**I wonder if I should make that a new thing now... Throw in a Kana Asumi reference and see who can guess where it's from. Any thoughts?**

**Well, I'm done for the night. Please review then...**


	18. And so, we ate popsicles

**And it has been exactly one week since I last posted. Usually, I'm a lot faster, but this chapter was crazy long.**

**Well, I took a bit of a departure of the usual recipe and changed the point of view. In fact, this is in Mappy-chan's P.O.V.**

**Seeing that it's been over 2 months since I posted the first chapter, I'll reintroduce her.**

**Hiroko "Mappy" Matsumiya was actually from Tamiki Wikaki's last manga, and she came here as a classmate of Keima's. In the anime, she's seen chatting with Chihiro, so of course, she's now Chihiro's friend in my story.**

**This chapter basically lies on the peripherals on the main story, but it'll definitely help move the story along. I hope you guys like it. Still, if you don't, feel free to complain. I haven't gotten many reviews for the last couple of chapters, so even a little flaming is welcome.**

**So, on to chapter 18, which incidentally is double the word count of the usual chapter.**

* * *

"Eeeeh!" we both turned back to Chihiro, who was looking at her phone with wide eyes. She looked up and bowed.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go. Something came up at home…" she then ran off.

"I wonder if everything is okay…" Shinji wondered, hugging the ball to him.

"With any luck… I'll ask her tomorrow…" I turned back to him and punched the ball up and out of his hands, "though let's have one more game before I have to go…"

He smirked and tried to lunge for the ball, but I stepped to the side.

"You know that'd count as traveling, right?" I shrugged and chucked the ball back at him.

"How about we just shoot hoops and whoever gets the most in treats the other to crepes," I mentioned as an idea… It was probably a bit stupid, considering he does play basketball a lot, but at least that gave me an excuse to hang out with him after club. Of course, his face lit up at the sign of a challenge.

"Eh, why not?" he shrugged and threw the ball, and it swished through the net with ease, "free food for me…"

"I'm not going to make it easy, you know?" I picked up the ball, "I've gotten quite a bit of practice now," even though my ball did jump off the rim, it still went in. Now, to put my plan in action…

"You may talk big, but a week ago, you barely knew how to throw that ball," as he was about to jump up and throw the ball, I grabbed at his side, causing him to yelp and his ball went flying off, landing nowhere near the net. I know tickling is a pretty low move, but I still felt a bit chuffed.

"Hey! No fair!" he pouted…

"You're a boy… stop whining…" I turned away, because all of a sudden, I could feel my face heating up. I hope we weren't attracting too much attention here. Yeah, I probably wouldn't try that again.

For the next ten minutes, we played fairly, but obviously, he still won, but the margin wasn't that big. After that, I had to go. I guess I still got lucky, because Judo starts later than most clubs, so I can still hang out here on most days, at least for a while.

"So when will the Great me be getting his crepes?" he pushed his chest out proudly. Of course, someone had to shove him off his high horse, so I took that opportunity.

"How about we meet at the gate at five, then I'll get you your crepes… Someone's feeling modest today…"

"I know, right?" He flipped his hair dramatically, "I'm so modest… I haven't even commented on how good-looking I am, or how skilled I am…" I was both impressed and disturbed that despite him nudging his head to keep his light hair flying, he could still spin the ball he had on his finger. Just the whole look was bizarre.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that…" I flicked the ball off his hand, which threw him off, "I'll be off then, Shinji…"

Before he could reply, I'd run out of the gym. When I arrived at judo, Natsumi was waiting for me.

"Aah, Hiro-chan… I see you just came from basketball practice…"

"Err… How did you know that?" we started walking to the changing room.

"There's two reasons… 1) You've been going nearly every day for the past week and 2) you're blushing, so obviously, you met Akagi-kun…"

"I-I'm not blushing…" I retorted, and she pulled a mirror out of nowhere… Unfortunately, she was right. I glared ay the mirror, but it wasn't changing anything.

"You're so cute… So are you going to ask him out?"

"Of course I can't… Chiro-chan likes him… I'm supposed to be helping her," I groaned, feeling really horrible.

"Chiro-chan… the one who barely shows any interest to him…" her eyebrow went up.

"Don't be like that… She says she likes him, and I said I'd support them… Besides, how do you know all this? I don't say so much about this, do I?"

"I've got sources…" she replied cryptically… "Have you ever thought she might be lying to you? Actions speak louder than words, after all…"

"I trust her more than that… I'm going to help her, and that's all."

"That's noble… Putting your friendship above your feelings… Maybe you should ask her once more."

"Butt out, will you?" I glared hard at her. Luckily, she dropped it for the whole of practice. Still, as I was leaving, she gave me a huge smile.

"Good luck with your date," I turned back to protest, but she had run off already.

Ugh, I think how fast gossip goes through this school is kind of scary. Besides, it's not a date…

Still, I said the exact same thing about when Chihiro and Shinji went to the arcade together…

Ugh, maybe I should ask if Chihiro can come in my place so I can stop feeling so guilty. I pulled out my phone and called her. She picked up after a few rings.

"_Chiro-chan, are you doing anything right now?"_

"_Not really… Why?"_

"_I was wondering… do you want to get some crepes with Shinji-kun?"_

"_S-sorry, I can't do that now. My brother got sick at school, so I'm babysitting him now…"_

"_That's unfortunate… I guess maybe another time then…"_

"_Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow then…"_

"_Okay, I hope your brother gets well. See you tomorrow."_

I shut my phone and sighed. I was maybe hoping that Chihiro could conveniently run into us at the stand then I could leave them there… I wasn't thinking properly before, considering I suggested that idea in the first place.

I know I find Shinji's company enjoyable, and I want to meet him, but I'm just making the situation worse. Chihiro likes him, so I can't. I refuse.

Shinji was waiting by the entrance, playing with something, when I got there. As I approached, he quickly shoved it behind his back.

"I was looking in my bag, and I realized I forgot my wallet at home this morning. I can't treat you today, after all."

"It's fine… I can pay today, and you can treat me twice sometime later…"

"It's alright. I don't want to be any trouble. We'll definitely do this tomorrow," I cringed. Why do I keep making these promises? I wonder if he understood my predicament, because he didn't push any further.

"So I'll see you tomorrow then, right?" he asked as we started walking off.

"Of course… We'll still get crepes tomorrow…" I replied. Even though I was feeling a bit crappy, we still do get to talk a little longer. Our houses are in the same direction, after all.

Throughout the five minute walk, he didn't move his hands from behind his back. At one road, we finally parted, because the road leading to his house was the one going uphill while mine went down. I sighed, a bit relieved as I walked on.

"Nee, Hiroko," I heard from above me. I looked up.

"I wanted to give you this," he held his right arm over and dropped something. It was something white and papery, and because the wind was blowing lightly, it almost floated down into my hands. It was a little origami crane…

"Yeah, I was making that while I was waiting for you… You may as well keep it…"

"Err… I-… Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I have way too many of these at home…" he continued walking up, so I could only see his back, "I'll see you tomorrow then…" he waved.

"Thanks… See you…"

I looked at the paper crane which was in my hands. It was crisp and perfectly folded, and even the way it flew down just reminded me of the real deal… I had no clue that paper folding was his thing, but honestly, I was even more attracted to him.

I'm freaking lying to myself if I say I don't have a crush on him.

I groaned and continued walking, making it fly alongside me, like how I've seen some children do with toy airplanes. Despite it being paper, it still held it's own against the wind and it was pretty fun to play with.

"I'm home," I called as I entered the house and took of my shoes. My mum stuck her head out of the kitchen.

"Welcome back, go put your stuff down and come have dinner," I put the paper crane on my desk and left for dinner.

When I came back, the crane was still sitting there. I was pleasantly surprised, because I imagined my little sister may have started using it as a chew toy. Usually anything in my room receives that treatment from her.

I pulled out my Japanese history books, because Nikaido-sensei had been particularly sadistic and set three pages of homework. No surprise though… That Katsuragi kid always gets on her nerves, and today, he'd gotten at least three of his consoles confiscated.

Still, as I started, I started looking at the crane again, which felt like it was almost watching me. So I wasted another 10 minutes inspecting it again and wondering why he decided to give it to me. Still, I noticed something odd on the wings… like writing… It was pencil, so I hadn't seen it when I was outside.

Still, the folding obscured most of the writing, so I ended up unfolding it in curiosity.

I held my breath as I pulled apart that beautiful bird, and when I had done it and read the light pencil writing, I was screaming inside my head, both in anger and in happiness. I regretted unfolding it, but nothing made me happier than what it said inside… On the other hand, I was pissed… at the situation… at him… at Chihiro… at me for being so happy…

I guess that crush wasn't unrequited after all… Shit…

I ended up staying up most of the night, wondering what I would do. It was my fault that I had convinced Chihiro to confess to him, and by involving myself, I started liking him, and vice-versa. How the hell do you even deal with a love triangle like that?

When I woke up, even my mother was concerned… Mum's always concerned about me though, so what's new. Still, I felt really crappy and staying bed probably wouldn't help. Only talking to Chihiro really would help. My mother wasn't really happy sending me to school, pale-faced and with bags under my eyes, but somehow, I managed to escape.

"WAAAH!" I heard as soon as I entered the classroom. Seemingly, that had come from her, as she was nearly tearing her bag apart, looking for something.

"What happened this time, Chiro-chan?" I walked over to her desk. She looked up, hey eyes wavering slightly.

"I left my homework on my desk today…" I was surprised she cared… Usually, missed homework was barely an issue with her.

"Look, we only have Nikaido-sensei after lunch. How about I lend you my homework and you copy it?"

"Really?" she held my hands admiringly, "you'll do that for me?"

"Sure…" I smiled… That's the least I could do, considering what I'd have to say for her later. I'm pretty sure my expression changed, but Chihiro seemed too relieved to notice.

"I love all you people in glasses… You're all so nice and smart," she nodded toward me and Kanon, who had been coming to school since yesterday, until someone struck her mind and she frowned… She looked forward, "well, there's always exceptions to the rule…" I followed her gaze, and it landed on the boy just in front of her on the right. It was that Katsuragi guy who was the one who pissed of Nikaido-sensei in the first place. Just thinking about the three hours I spent on that work made my blood boil. Still, there's no point getting mad. We need a distraction…

"Nee, Chiro-chan… Have you ever wanted to wear glasses?" she thought for a second.

"I don't know… If I wanted to go for glasses, I'd go for a whole new look. I'd probably grow my hair out and tie a little bit of it to the side… And I'd probably go for rounder glasses like yours, because rectangular ones look stupid. And, of course…"

She continued, but something distracted me… something just felt a bit off about this conversation.

I didn't really get time to think about it, because Kodama-sensei came for English. Chihiro finished and I went to my desk.

School isn't that boring, but for some reason, I felt my mind drifting to Shinji. I guess I could probably withhold giving him an answer, seeing that he doesn't know I unfolded it. I guess it's a good thing we'll be going to the library at lunch.

Four hours later, Chihiro was frantically scribbling notes, while I was sitting next to her, kind of bored. I looked through my phone aimlessly, hoping for some new picture to pop up.

"Chiro-chan… Can I look at the pictures on your phone?" she shrugged and handed it over, somehow not breaking her stride.

With any luck, she'll have some funny pictures of something. I opened her pictures folder. It was pretty standard… some cute celebrities… Kanon… Funny pictures that have probably been forwarded all over japan… Until I came to one picture… a head filled with multiple hairclips…

Well, considering it was brown hair, maybe Chihiro had just been bored and put every clip she'd owned in her hair. Eh… I continued. I found a really cute picture of a cat, but when I tried forwarding it to myself, I came across a name I recognized…

"Otamega?" That's the nickname most people have for that Katsuragi guy, right?

Chihiro shot up and looked at me fearfully.

"W-what are you talking about?" It was the weirdest thing. I could almost see the blood rising up her face. I was now a hundred percent sure that I wasn't supposed to see that.

"Oh… I was just thinking about how pissed I am at him, because now we had to do all that stupid work…" And just like that, she relaxed. She went back to writing.

"Yeah, one day, I hope Nikaido kicks his ass all the way to the moon. That jerk…" she trailed off as her concentration went back to my answers. Luckily, that left me to my own devices… or rather, her device.

I forwarded it and went back to her pictures. The one with the clips came up again. Though considering what I'd just seen, I looked at the picture more closely. It looked like it was taken in a classroom, considering there was a desk and part of the board in the picture. So, if this is school, there has to be school uniform. Still, the uniform was off. If that's Chihiro, then she should be wearing the girl's uniform, which is pink on the shoulder region… In the picture though, that part is maroon. Simply speaking, the person in the picture isn't wearing a girl's uniform, but either it's a boy's uniform, or some other casual clothes. Of course, the last straw which convinced me this wasn't Chihiro was the dark line crossing the side of the face… glasses… And they were the rectangular type that Chihiro said she hated…

All fingers point at Katsuragi here…

Suddenly, a huge rush or relief hit me. Considering she has his number, and she's even close enough to him to decorate his hair with clips, they might be going out. Considering how she reacted, it's pretty clear that their relationship is supposed to be secret. That's why they always pretend to bicker in class and ignore each other.

Still, I'm her friend, right? Was the reason she didn't tell me because of how everyone in class seems to dislike Katsuragi, and she didn't want to be judged for liking a weirdo like him… I have no clue, but I guess I can ask her. I shut her phone and handed it back. And just in time as well, because the bell for the ending of lunch went off. She sighed and packed her stuff away.

"So Mappy-chan… Did you find any pictures you liked?" she asked as she picked her phone off the desk.

"I did like a couple, so I forwarded them to myself."

"That's good…" she pulled her bag over her arm and got up before handing me my answers back.

"You sure have a lot of pictures of kittens though… Are you going to become a crazy cat lady?" She laughed.

"Nee-san loves kittens. She always forwards those cute pictures to me."

In class, as we were handing in those assignments in, I looked at those two. They didn't say a word to each other the entire time. Katsuragi seemed more enthralled with his game and Chihiro was chatting with Katsuragi's little sister.

Come to think of it, they don't really talk… The only time I can remember was when they were arguing about how they didn't want to talk to each other… I'd inadvertently embarrassed those two when I interjected… Come to think of it, I had been pretty confused… though if they were secretly dating, it actually make sense why they wouldn't want to be caught chatting during class.

Though wait, there was also that time a few days back when Elsie was worried about her brother, because he was down… Chihiro asked him if his 2D girlfriend dumped him… True, she said it a bit maliciously, but she was worried about him.

They actually made a pretty sweet couple. I wonder why Chihiro would want to date Shinji then…

Well, I guess I'll ask her today.

Chihiro seemed exhausted when we left the class at the end of the day. I guess that makes both of us. Still, the faster we have this conversation, the better. We ended up getting popsicles at the convenience store.

"You know I'll support you guys, right?" I said. Considering she had no clue what's been on my mind most of the day, it made sense she had no idea what I was referring to.

"What are you going on about, exactly?" How do I exactly put this?

"You've been doing a good job hiding it, but you don't have to anymore."

"I still don't get you. Just spit it out already!"

"Well… about you and Katsuragi…" The frozen chunk of juice on a stick fell out of her hand, and she looked at it sadly for a moment before looking up at me. She took a deep breath.

"I don't really get what you're getting at…" even though her voice was calm and not shaking, I think I hit a nerve, because a look of dread started coming onto her face.

Only then did I realize how low I had fallen. I was basically prodding at something I knew she wanted as a secret so I could feel better that I wasn't being a bad friend by liking the guy she said she liked. Ironic, huh… I became an even worse friend today. I invaded her privacy and now, I'm going to break her trust. I deserve however she'll treat me after this.

"Look, Chihiro…" my head fell so she couldn't see me, "I know you'll probably hate me after this, but please hear me out first," My popsicle was dripping, but I knew soon enough, that wouldn't be the only thing. I could feel that horrible lump forming in my throat.

"What are you talking about?" I could hear the concern in her voice, and I felt even worse, "I'd never hate you…"

"Trust me, this one's bad…" my eyes started filling up with tears, but I blinked them away, "the truth is… I like Shinji-kun…" by now, the first round had started, and my glasses were starting to get wet again.

"You like… Shinji-kun…"

"Yeah… And it only got worse… because he… gave me a letter… yesterday… saying he liked me as well…" I gulped in between words, but my eyes wouldn't stop tearing up.

"So how did you respond?" I could tell her voice was getting harder. She's getting angry now… Not that I deserve anything else.

"I didn't… I only saw it last night… but I think I'm going to say no…"

"Stop being stupid!" I felt her hands grab me, and she pulled me up so I was looking straight at her. She had a glare that could kill…

"You like him, right? What's stopping you from saying yes?!" another tear slid down my face… then I occurred to her… "it's me, obviously… dumbass…" she muttered.

"Look, I'm not sure if this will make you feel better, but I definitely don't like Shinji-kun like that," and almost as if she was steeling herself, she took one hand off me and pulled out her phone.

"Y-you see… This is the idiot I like…" through my tears, I saw she was showing me that picture… the one with the hair clips.

"K-katsuragi?" I hiccupped.

"Yeah… I was convinced that there was no way I could like him… He's a four-eyed dweeb who only plays video games… what kind of girl is attracted to that?"

"Not many girls…" I replied. I could feel the tears drying up a little.

"Exactly… I didn't want to like him… Even now, I don't want to like him… Still, I've got to accept it now, because I'm causing trouble for you guys…"

Despite it all… Despite me being the one who's in the wrong here… She's still worried about me. I started crying again.

"Please don't cry…" she nearly begged, "I don't like seeing people cry…"

I wiped my eyes with my sleeve, which helped.

"So you're not mad?"

"Of course not! You like what you like, and I have first hand experience in that. I'm not going to get in the way… anymore, at least…"

By that point, I just gave up on the melting mass, so I threw it away and threw my arms around Chihiro. She seemed a bit surprised, but she returned it just as warmly.

After a few moments, I remembered something.

"What's the time right now?"

Chihiro opened her phone.

"It's quarter to five now."

"Shit… Shinji-kun…"

She smiled and let go after that long hug.

"Go get him…" she smiled and indicated towards the school. I gave her another quick hug and ran off.

"And wash your face before you go there… You look like a wreck…" she called behind me. I didn't turn back though. I really was running late.

Luckily, I found a tap outside the school, where I rinsed my face and wiped my tear-smeared glasses. In any case, I'd beaten him to the entrance, so I quickly brought out some scrap paper.

I finished before he arrived, which was a relief.

"Hiroko? I thought you wouldn't come today…"

"Sorry, I had some stuff I needed to do first… We'll definitely get crepes today though."

I pulled my hidden hands in front, which were tucked inside the paper beak of my two minutes of work.

"Say… do you wanna play a game?" I held it out to him.

"Is that… one of those paper fortune games? I haven't seen one of those in ages…"

"Yeah, origami isn't a strong point of mines, but I wanted to make something. So here… let's play," he laughed, but humored me, choosing the colours and the numbers without too much eye rolling.

"So what's my fortune?"

"Why not check it for yourself?" I held the unfolded paper so he could read.

"Your affections won't go unrequited… In fact, why don't you ask her out now?" he read out loud, and I felt my cheeks heat up again.

"Yeah, I noticed that the crane yesterday had a message inside of it, so I ended up taking it apart…" he was barely listening though, because he was unfolding the rest of the fortunes.

"They're all the same…" he noted, "that's one crappy fortune teller…" I pulled a face, but he just grabbed my hand.

"Still, I haven't seen a better one…"

And just like yesterday, that weird woosh of air sent our hair flying… I guess summer really is coming.

"Shinji… you kind of need a haircut…"

"Isn't it a bit early in this relationship for you to dictate…"

* * *

**This was weirdly enough, this was quite a fun chapter to write. Basically, I've been on a writing marathon all day, and my mum keeps telling me to study, but what can you do. I'll be extra good tomorrow and study hard.**

**From the last chapter, that reference comes from the anime _Unbreakable Machine Dolls, _which is the only other anime I know in which Hiro Shimono and Kana Asumi acted in together. In fact, during their first meeting, she said she'd assassinate him. Eh, I'm the only weirdo who really notices that.**

**Still, this chapter had another reference which Chihiro talking about what she'd be like with glasses. Have a go if you want.**

**Well, I'm done or this chapter. Next time, Chihiro will be back as the main character. **

**Till then, have a good week. Ja ne**


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